Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time
by relativelypositive
Summary: The Wizengamot is messing with Hermione's life. What does a girl have to do to be allowed to fall in love? 6th Year AU. Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

09/18/2014

Title: Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time

Author: relativelypositive

Rating: M

Category: AU/Romance/Humor

Summary: The Wizengamot is messing with Hermione's life. What does a girl have to do to be allowed to fall in love? 6th Year AU. Dramione.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 1

"Can you even _imagine_ what would happen if Death Eaters started using guns?"

"Would that be admitting that muggles do something better than wizards? Wouldn't that be against everything they stand for?"

"Would it _matter_ if it helped kill inferior people more expediently?"

"Yes, yes, muggles kill people very efficiently. Congratulations. It's still a muggle _method_."

Hermione and Little Weasley were debating what would happen if the full story of the death of the Dark Lord were to come to light.

Draco and Harry were sitting, quietly taking in all the possibilities, and the solutions the witches were considering.

Greg was lying in the hospital bed between them, still not having woken up from his ordeal at the hands of the Dark Lord and Bellatrix. Madam Pomfrey did not seem worried, so the students assumed it was just a matter of time.

"Why do it quickly when torturing them with your own magic is so much more satisfying?"

"Jeez, Ginny!"

"What? Can you deny that's what they'd think? I agree that guns should stay out of the picture, but given the option I think most Death Eaters would stick with the old spells and hexes. They are incredibly effective, you know."

"Yes, but in fifteen minutes we took out Death Eater Number One _and_ the Supreme Death Eater. You can't argue with those results."

Draco, while attentive to the important conversation, was contemplating Potter. Bloke wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, he usually came in a set with Weasley. Ron, that is.

Until this week he'd assumed Hermione and Harry had one of those unfortunate relationships where you weren't your best friend's best friend. Harry was Hermione's best friend, but Ron was Harry's best friend.

Now? Draco wondered if time and maturity had affected the relationships. Harry was still constantly trying to include Ron in their plans and discussions, and Hermione kept shooting him down. No pun intended. Harry was just in the habit of spending all his time with Ron. Was he now realizing that Hermione was a better friend? A more worthwhile person?

Maybe that was just Draco's supposition. His disdain for Weasley was deep. It stemmed from what his father always said about the Weasleys, what he had witnessed over the years, and the fact that Potter had spurned his own offer of friendship for Weasley's.

And the little shit wanted to sneak in and fuck Draco's fiancée.

Ultimately, the people that surrounded Hermione were tolerable. Potter was turning out to be a worthwhile acquaintance. He actually _liked_ the twins, and Little Weasley held her own.

_Ron_ could rot. Arsehole.

"Draco? Do you agree?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you agree?"

"To what?"

Hermione gave him an exasperated look that he often saw on her face when she conversed with Weasley. He vowed never to make her use it on him again.

"You'll have to speak to your mother and Professor Snape about keeping the guns a secret. We can't tell _anyone_."

"Shacklebolt knows."

"Harry's going to talk to him today, as well as Tonks. Ginny's going to owl the twins that she wants a meeting. We just need your mother and Professor Snape to agree to never tell a soul."

"You're asking me to force my mother and Snape to make an Unbreakable Vow of silence?"

Hermione smiled at him. "Excellent idea. I wish I'd thought of it."

"I wasn't suggesting it! It's ludicrous! They'd never go for it!"

"We'll just have to argue our case. They'll see the implications of this information getting out."

"You think you'll be able to argue my mother and Snape into submission? That's a laugh."

Hermione looked insulted. "Of course not. That's _your_ job."

"Well, getting my mother into a room with me at this point will be a battle. Did you see how she dismissed us after Snape left with Greg?"

"Her _sister_ just died, Draco. Was she supposed to _coddle_ you?"

"That's not the point. _We're_ still engaged. I'm still being _disowned_. What possible reason could she have to see me now?"

Blaise breezed through the door, winked lewdly at Ginny Weasley, and grabbed Greg's leg in a light squeeze, yelling, "You're missing all the fun, you lazy git!"

When he got no response but an evil look from Madam Pomfrey, he turned to Draco and said, "Your mommy's here."

Draco's head whipped to the doorway, and Blaise laughed. "In the castle, idiot! She's meeting with Dumbledore. You might as well head up there. You _know_ it has something to do with you."

Draco looked to Hermione and she raised an eyebrow in response. Draco stood and automatically grabbed Hermione's hand. _When had this become a habit?_

He noticed Harry give Blaise a jealous look (Over the wink at Weasley? Interesting.), then glanced at his non-responsive friend, Greg. He supposed their impromptu vigil wasn't really helping him anyway.

"I'll hang here with Potter and Weasley," Blaise said with a shark of a smile.

Blaise was going to mess with Potter? Draco was sad he'd have to miss it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione was trying to keep the smile from her face. She knew it was there, at least a little quirk to her lips. She was trying her best not to look smug, but _Draco_ was _holding her hand_, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Students were gawking at them. Hermione didn't care. She was _happy_.

Hermione had never had a boyfriend. She'd barely had _any_ contact with boys, other than Harry and Ron. Maybe that was why she was finding this simple gesture overwhelmingly romantic.

Hermione wasn't in love. At least she didn't think she was. She liked Draco, surprisingly much. She was disappointed, though, that most of what she liked about him was superficial. She liked to kiss him. He was nice to look at. He made her feel wanted, and that was a nice change for Hermione.

He had jumped into this engagement with both feet, putting a lot of trust in her and her friends. If the situation were reversed, she doubted she'd have run off with a bunch of Slytherins, even if it were for her own protection.

Deep down, she still didn't want to get married. Not for the next twenty years or so.

What would it be like in two days when they started classes again? Would everything revert to normal? _Would he still be holding her hand?_

They were almost to the Headmaster's office when the dread started to set in. Draco's mother saw Hermione as the end of the Malfoy family. Hermione was looking forward to being free of her, even though she knew Draco would be dealing with this for years to come.

Draco's family was kind of awful.

His father was in Azkaban awaiting trial for kidnapping, imprisonment and a slew of other offenses. That morning's Daily Prophet had reported his arrest, but with dis-satisfyingly few details. No one yet knew who was being held in the Malfoy dungeon, or how long they had been there.

(When Hermione had asked Draco if he had any idea he had given her a cold look. "I have never known the dungeon to be used." That was the end of _that_ discussion.)

Draco's mother was passive-aggressive to the point of cruelty. She was a snob with an out-of-control sense of entitlement.

They were both going to spend the rest of their lives pretending Draco, their only child and doted-upon heir, had never existed.

So why was the woman here? Hermione highly doubted it was to welcome her into the family.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How fortuitous. Please join us." Dumbledore didn't look surprised that Hermione and Draco had shown up at his door. Maybe they were becoming predictable.

Draco saw his mother, stiff posture and haughty demeanor as always, and felt oddly comforted.

Draco and Hermione took the seats farthest from his mother. It wasn't on purpose, but Draco saw her frown deepen and felt guilty.

She hadn't greeted him with her customary barely-there smile, so he wasn't going to greet her with his adoring-but-hiding-it nod.

Their relationship was irrevocably changed.

"Mrs. Malfoy has just informed me that the Wizengamot is reinstating the Courtship Mandates. Are you aware of what that entails?"

Draco looked at Hermione in alarm, and she looked back at him in confusion. Of course she didn't know about archaic laws. She didn't even know about current courtship etiquette that had been affecting her life for years.

"No," Hermione admitted.

Dumbledore continued, "Well then, let's get to the important, immediate decisions we must make. We have three choices. First, Hermione could transfer to Beauxbatons. Second, Draco could transfer to Durmstrang. Third, Hermione could have a chaperone, while both students remain at Hogwarts."

"Why do _I_ need a chaperone?" Hermione's eyes narrowed at the Headmaster, clearly not liking her options.

"Because you are the female." Draco's mother stated, as though that were a stupid question.

"So?" Hermione countered eloquently.

"It is the way it is done."

"So?"

"There must be no further signs of impropriety before the…the wedding."

"We're already engaged. Don't you think that train has left the station?"

"We are looking to the future! Do you want to be known as the hussy that seduced my son into an unwanted marriage?"

"We could tell everyone the truth."

Draco's mother gasped in shock. "You wouldn't _dare_! Oh, I wish you would choose to _leave_. You have no sense of shame! To tell everyone that you…no! Unacceptable!"

"Neither of us is going _anywhere_. And adding a chaperone wouldn't help this situation!"

"Nevertheless, the Courtship Mandates state that you two may never be alone together until you are married. Hence, the…_lady_…gets the chaperone."

"Why not make Draco have the chaperone? He's the one with the penis! That's where all the danger is!"

"Miss Granger! That is wholly inappropriate! My son would never—"

Draco wondered if he should step in. Dumbledore was worthless as a referee. He just sat there watching the fireworks with an amused smile.

"This is all ridiculous. It's been published in the Prophet that it was an accident. A mistake."

"You seem to think this is a debate. It is _decided_. The Wizengamot has spoken. You, as well as the other engaged young women at Hogwarts, will each have a chaperone."

"No."

"You haven't a choice, you obstinate girl! Did you think there would be no consequences to your actions? Did you think you'd cavort around the castle without supervision, having relations at your leisure?"

"I thought I'd go back to class, my prefect duties, my friends, and maybe _date_ your son. You're aware that we barely know each other?"

"I'm _aware_ that you and _my son_ disappeared from the hospital wing in the middle of the night, and did not turn up again until breakfast. If you think that bringing an heir into the world will get you the Malfoy fortunes, you are mistaken."

Draco blushed. His mother knew he and Hermione were alone last night? They'd pretty much just made out and slept, but his mother didn't know that.

Hermione ignored his mother's accusation.

Was this a _tactic_? Was Hermione becoming more _Slytherin_? Draco was proud.

"I will not cooperate. I will not be _babysat_. As an adult, I will make my own choices," Hermione said calmly, as though that was the end of the discussion.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore finally stepped in. "If you'd like to continue your education at Hogwarts, you will consent. But, in the nature of fairness, I will make sure the boys have chaperones as well."

Draco felt his heart sink into his stomach.

"When?" Draco asked. He knew in situations like this is was best to just conform.

"I dare say they will be here tomorrow."

"Look on the bright side, Draco," his mother bent enough to try to comfort him, "it's only until the wedding. This will all be over in June."

Draco felt his magic begin to rush. He was reacting to _Hermione's_ extreme reaction to his mother's words.

"What do you mean, _June_?"

"Draco turns seventeen on June 5th. I will plan the wedding festivities for that week."

"First of all, _you_ are not planning _my_ wedding—"

"No, I am planning _my son's_ wedding."

"Am I not disowned?" interrupted Draco.

His mother gave him a quelling look. "With your father and the Dark Lord out of the picture for the time being, and with the current favor your _fiancée_ has with the media, I cannot distance myself from your nuptials. Am I _happy_? No. Am I resigned? Yes."

"No. Absolutely not." Hermione was starting to panic.

"You will not have time to plan this wedding during the school year."

"I will not be getting married at the end of the school year, either."

"When exactly do you think this will happen? When _you_ decide it is time? You will not delay. _At all_. Draco's reputation would be irrevocably damaged. It would impact his working relationships as well as personal relationships in society. I will not let it happen."

"Try to make me," Hermione challenged.

Draco cleared his throat, trying to get her attention, while his mother answered her indirectly, but with _relish_.

"Headmaster, am I correct in thinking that the Courtship Mandates apply to this situation?"

Draco knew they did, and it made him sick to his stomach. The "aggrieved" family had all the power. He didn't want to force Hermione to marry him before she was ready, but his mother was in a better position.

"Indeed, Mrs. Malfoy. Hermione," Professor Dumbledore continued in a softer voice, "you must comply, or be sent to Azkaban. Now, within your rights as the bride, you can take control of any and all wedding planning—"

"She will not!" Draco's mother thundered, then quickly got herself under control. Draco was stunned. He had never heard his mother raise her voice in anger. And was she _blushing_? Draco had never seen that before, either.

So _that's_ where he got it.

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, thinking over their situations and deciding their next moves. Draco watched Hermione, wishing he could hear what she was thinking.

He didn't want her to think she was being _forced_ to marry him…even though she was. He wanted her to want _him_ as her husband. And to _want_ to get married. Soon.

"I will agree on three conditions," Hermione started slowly, then took a deep breath, released it, and gave Draco's mother a penetrating stare. "One, my parents get to participate in the planning every step of the way."

Draco saw his mother's eye twitch.

"Two, you, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore make an Unbreakable Vow to never speak or write of the events that happened yesterday to _anyone_, even amongst yourselves."

Draco's mother's lips thinned. Hermione gave Draco an apologetic look before returning her hard gaze back to his mother.

"And three, you do not pressure me to have children, _ever_."

Draco held his breath. Hermione was outwardly calm, but he could tell she was a hurricane inside.

"How about this?" Draco's mother stood and straightened her robes. She acted for all the world like no one else was in the room. She continued in a clipped tone, while donning her cloak and patting down her perfect hair. "You will receive a summons. You will show up when I tell you to, where I tell you to. You will wear what I tell you to. You will participate in the bonding ceremony. You will provide Draco with an heir a year or so later. You will not interfere with his business dealings. If you do not comply, I will have you imprisoned. If you have any doubt I can make that happen, ask the Headmaster. I do _so_ love the old laws, don't you?"

Hermione stood and squared herself to Draco's mother, stepping into her personal space so the older woman could no longer pretend Hermione wasn't there. Draco watched in awe and apprehension.

"You did this!" she accused, her anger working its way to the surface. "You want to control our lives! You used your clout and your connections to reinstate outmoded laws!"

Draco saw the ghost of a smile reach his mother's lips.

"Oh, yes. Yes, I did."

A/N:

We meet again.

If you haven't read Out of Hand, you're probably quite confused right now. Go read that one first.

Everyone else, welcome back! I have a vague idea where this one goes, but we'll see. I didn't think I was going to include Voldemort in the last one and look where my brain went! So. Unpredictable, romantic, and hopefully fun. Those are my goals.


	2. Chapter 2

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 2

"So my penis is dangerous, huh?"

"Not as dangerous as I'd like it to be."

Hermione smiled as Draco's blush bloomed.

"You can dish it out, but you can't take it? Come on, Slytherin!"

Hermione _loved_ that Draco was such an enigma. He had a sense of sophistication about him that fooled everyone, yet he was so _innocent_.

But only when it came to sex. When it came to danger, violence, and fear, Hermione was discovering that he was well seasoned.

Regardless, she did have vague plans to sit down with Draco and make sure he knew she was _mostly_ kidding when she peppered their conversation with innuendo. She had found out the hard way that he was skittish.

"Let's go get some lunch," he changed the subject. "We can catch just the end, then I think we should go find a secluded spot and make out. We should probably spend time together while we still can."

"Is this really such a huge thing? They can't really keep us apart, right?"

Draco sighed, and Hermione didn't like the forlorn note to it. "The Wizengamot is making an example of us. Well, my mother is forcing them to. I don't know why she's doing all this, other than to try to save face."

"I understand. If we can't be stellar examples, let us serve as horrible reminders."

As was their new habit, their hands were securely linked as they approached the Great Hall. Other students were giving them a wide berth, still seemingly shocked at the couple.

They were in their own little world as they entered the Great Hall. Hermione automatically went left toward the Gryffindor table, and Draco veered right toward Slytherin. They both stopped short when their linked hands separated.

"Oh," said Hermione. They hadn't discussed any of the practicalities, and she felt irrationally upset. Could she take Draco to the Gryffindor table? Would he _come_ to the Gryffindor table?

She didn't feel like she was up to braving the Slytherin table, so she didn't offer.

"I guess…I'll see you after lunch?"

"Yeah," Draco agreed, but instead of moving away he grabbed her hand again and pulled her out the door. When the doors shut Hermione found herself lifted and pressed to the wall in front of those students unfortunate (or fortunate!) enough to remain in the hall.

Hermione lost track of time as Draco kissed her.

She was brought back to the world by a loud scoff.

"You slut! Clearly that's how you get a titled husband! Spread your legs and—hmmph!"

Hermione's eyes had popped open in surprise when the nasty girl _she didn't even know_ started her tirade. Hermione was ready to disentangle herself from Draco and go on the defensive when he whipped out his wand and jinxed the girl without even a pause in their kissing.

Hermione giggled, effectively breaking the kiss. She earned a glare from the departing girl, but her attention was quickly drawn back to Draco.

"You go ahead and have lunch with your friends, I'll go see what's going on in my house, and we'll rendezvous in the library. Sound like a plan?"

Hermione couldn't for the life of her think of how to express herself in that moment. Draco could passionately kiss her and curse a girl with nasty boils at the same time! He defended her, even though he knew she could protect herself. Harry would have let her defend herself. Ron would have blustered and yelled, but ultimately done nothing.

It didn't even faze Draco. He just took care of the issue and moved on.

Wow. She wanted to find fault, to tell him that hexing that girl wasn't the solution, but she felt a warmth that she had never experienced, and it was _awesome_.

She was going to find a word for this feeling. She just needed to think on it for a while to discover what it was.

XXXXXXXXX

Draco smirked as he watched Hermione being greeted by her friends. She ducked her head shyly with a little smile.

She was _so_ pretty.

"You smug bastard. Sit down and let me live vicariously. Tell me she kisses better than Pansy."

Draco sat down across from Blaise and prepared to spread the good word.

"No comparison."

"What did your mom want?"

"To expedite the wedding."

"You're shitting me."

"Nope."

"She's not expecting it until after your apprenticeship, right? It would just be nuts otherwise."

"Nine months."

"Nine months after your apprenticeship? Perfect!"

"No, nine months from now, immediately after my seventeenth birthday."

"You're shitting me!"

"Nope."

"Is she out of her mind?"

"Quite. She also has orchestrated chaperones."

"For who?"

"Originally I think she was trying to torture Hermione, but Dumbledore, in his infinite insanity, decided to give me a chaperone as well."

"Sucks to be you!"

"Indeed."

"Where did she hit on the idea of chaperones?"

"She petitioned the Wizengamot to reinstate the Courtship Mandates."

"Since _yesterday_? You're shitting me!"

"Nope."

"That crazy bitch! No offense."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione had just settled between Lavender and Neville when a set of owls flew in. The students were all confused, as correspondence was delivered at breakfast.

Hermione had an inkling what this was about as an owl stopped in front of her and offered her his envelope. As she expected, it was about the flipping Courtship Mandates. She was to pack her trunk, as she'd be moving into dormitories formerly used by guests. She'd be joined by the other engaged girls and their chaperones.

She strained to see who else had gotten owls, but didn't want to be obvious about it.

The two owls she could see were both at Ron's spot. A large basket was sitting in between them, bursting with baked goods and other small treats. What in the world? It wasn't his birthday. Was Molly feeling guilty about something? Hermione looked for Ginny, and noticed that she was busy ignoring her brother and his treasure.

She craned her neck, finally gave up, and stood to see that Draco had also received an owl. Blaise was next to him, trying to stifle his laughter, when another owl came and perched in front of _him_.

Hermione couldn't hear him, be she saw his reaction. His face fell, and he turned to Draco and punched him on the arm. Hermione wasn't the best at reading lips, but she was positive that the words that came out of Blaise's mouth were, "Your fucking mother!"

She smiled to herself as she sat back down.

"You look awfully smug." Lavender was leaning toward Hermione as though they were confidants. "What's in that letter?"

_Well_, Hermione thought, _it's not like it's going to stay a secret forever._

"I'm moving out of our room and into a different dormitory where I'll be living with the other girls that are engaged and our chaperones."

Lavender leaned back in shock. "They don't do that anymore! My grandmother used to talk about her chaperone all the time. Said she was a sadistic bitch. _Those were her words_. My ancient grandmother _said_ that to me. I was probably seven."

"Well, I'm getting one, and Draco's getting one, and—"

"Wait, why are the boys getting chaperones?"

"Equality. Part of these Courtship Mandates."

"Courtship Mandates? Are they putting you through any of the tests?"

"What tests?"

"There are these invasive tests where the Ministry checks to see if you've been living virtuously."

"They want to know if I'm a virgin?"

"Hermione! Keep your voice down!"

"Jeez. Sorry. So what, they wave a wand around you a bit and pronounce you slutty or pure?"

"It's a physical examination. _Down there_."

Hermione thought about that for a second, wondering where the indignities would end.

"Well, if they're going to go spelunking for my hymen, they're out of luck."

A/N:

ASJS! I've missed you so. How was your September? As my sole reviewer for chapter one, I just wanted to check in. Thanks for all the reviews on the original story and I hope you like this section just as much.

Thanks for all the follows and favorites!


	3. Chapter 3

10/05/2014

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 3

_Maybe she _had_ said that a bit loudly._

Conversation had ceased around her, and Hermione was afraid to look up from her plate. She could _feel_ everyone staring at her.

"What's a hymen?" Neville asked innocently.

"What's spelunking?" asked Colin Creevey from a few seats down.

"Go back to stuffing your faces!" Lavender ordered. She stood and grabbed Hermione's arm rather forcefully.

"Ow! Lav, let go!"

Lavender bent down to whisper into Hermione's ear. "If they're reinstating the Courtship Mandates, and you don't have proof of purity, Lucius Malfoy can legally kill you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Draco looked up from his conversation with Blaise to see that Hermione had left already. Was she upset about the new dormitories? Draco could understand if she was. He didn't want to sleep in the same room as his new keeper either. He didn't want to meet after breakfast tomorrow to be formally linked to his chaperone. He didn't want his access to Hermione be restricted to glimpses across classrooms and the Great Hall and accidental passes in the hallway. He didn't want the next time he spoke to her to be at their bonding.

If he was truthful with himself, he still loved his mother. But he could…well, not kill her, though that was what popped into his mind. Maybe find some way to punish her somehow.

Why was he wasting his last day with Hermione sitting here _thinking_ about her?

"Where you going?" Blaise inquired.

"Library. Hermione's probably there."

"Yeah, if you plan to fuck her before the wedding you'd better hurry up."

"How do you know we haven't already had relations?"

Blaise snorted a laugh. "Because you're such a sappy fucker. You'd be all 'our souls connected through our loins' and shit. And you'd be making her sit on your lap to feeding her morsels of food with your fingers and giggling."

"You really think that's the way I'd be?"

"You'd be looking for an escape. You'd be dreading nine months of no Hermione and you'd be desperate to save her from the fate your mother has in store. You'd be packing and planning to abduct Hermione, 'cause you know she'd never leave school willingly."

"She did last week!"

"She had the headmaster pushing her out to a safe house, not running away with you to live as fugitives for the foreseeable future. Anyway, that's how I know you didn't have sex. You'd be all melodramatic about being ripped apart from your love and how could you continue in this unfulfilling existence?"

"You're so odd. I'm going to find Hermione."

Draco had only made it a few feet away when he heard Blaise following.

"Wait up. I'll come with you. At the very least I can help you two get some privacy."

A few corridors from the library Draco and Blaise found Harry and Ron yelling at each other and just stood to watch. Ron was carrying an oversized basket full of baked goods and kept eating as he was arguing. It was quite disgusting to see crumbs spew out of his mouth as he retorted.

It took Draco a moment to realize what was happening, then it took an immense amount of self-control to not laugh aloud.

"_He_ was there in time…and just so you know, he's stopped calling her Granger!"

"That's not fair! It's not my fault I went to save Ginny! She was in _danger_!"

"I've already heard this story. You may have been being _noble_, but that doesn't change the fact that you weren't there! I _can't_ tell you. It's not safe!"

"Your refusals are making me chafe!"

"I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings, Ron, but it's really best for everyone. Now stop asking and let's go play some chess."

"My best friends and my sister disappear with my twin brothers and I'm left here to guess!"

"I think you're upset that you missed your chance to be with Hermione. Let it go! She's _fine_."

"So on top of your secrecy I have to deal with the fact that Hermione will never be mine!"

"Stop pretending she spurned you in some way. You've ignored her for years."

"You know I'm not good with all that girly shit! It would have ended in tears!"

"You should be happy I'm in a decent mood, Ron! She told me what you did, and it was awful."

"I just wanted to see if…no. I'm not even going to claim I was doing it for her. I wanted to see if she would waffle."

"You know it isn't a matter of choice! The engagement is permanent! She _can't_ change her mind!"

"I have some ideas! I figure I can still try to get her out of it until the scrolls are signed!"

"She doesn't want out!"

"You keep _saying_ that! You can't blame me if I'm feeling doubt."

"After you see them together you'll understand."

"What could she possible see in him? He's pale, mean, and bland!"

"Your jealousy is coming off you in waves."

"How could she stand him, the way he behaves?"

"I've been thinking about his, especially since I actually get along with him. He surprised me, and I think he'll surprise you, too. He's still snarky, but he's not as _mean_ as he used to be. I think he's realizing his parents' views aren't his own."

"So I'm supposed to just accept him? And spend the rest of my life alone?"

"Don't make me laugh. You've talked about lots of girls. Pick a nice one and get on with your life!"

"I'm not talking about a trifle, I'm talking about a wife!"

Blaise and Draco quickly ran down the hall and turned the next corner before bursting out in laughter.

"Do you think he knows his muffins are cursed?"

"A rhyming jinx in a muffin? That's a first!"

Draco snickered. "At least Potter's keeping his mouth shut."

"Discretion makes sense. If Weasley doesn't accept that I'm sure Hermione will kick his butt."

"Why are you rhyming, Blaise?"

"Don't worry, it's just a phase."

"Seriously, it's really annoying."

"With you I am toying."

"If you don't knock it off I'll kick your ass!"

"Ooh, that's sexy! I like your sass!"

A/N:

Thank you for taking the time to read and review,

Lucifeeer, ASJS, Hexell, tswiftismyhomie, and shaymars!

You'd all think I was schizophrenic if I started writing a super-serious dramatic Puckleberry fic, right? I have this great idea, but it would be such a sensitive subject. I wouldn't start until I was finished with this one, but I don't know how long I'd be away from Dramione writing that one.


	4. Chapter 4

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 4

"What would it matter if I had a hymen? That's just stupid. It doesn't prove anything. If I'd had sex I'd be engaged, right? That would be proof in itself that I wasn't 'pure' so what's the point?"

"It was a different time, Hermione. First of all, girls past the age of seven were in training to become ladies. Most girls weren't very active. Even if you lost your…_that_…it didn't really matter. The _findings_ weren't the test. Submitting to the test was the test. If you went into the test willingly, you were innocent. If you fought, you weren't the type of girl the old families wanted to acquire."

"But I'm already engaged. What point would there be to doing the tests?"

"Who said they were _going_ to do the tests?"

"You—"

"No, I asked _you_ if there were going to _be_ tests."

"Were you just trying to scare me, then?"

"No. I just wanted to know!"

Hermione looked at Lavender. Finding someone to speak plainly to her about _anything_ was priceless, but why did it have to be _Lavender_? She'd lived with the girl for years without her being the least bit helpful.

"I can't believe I know something you don't!"

"Is that what's really important here, Lavender?"

"Damn straight! Is this what you feel like all the time?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to lord it over you. Is that bad?"

"Lavender!"

"What?"

"Can we focus?"

"I'm totally focused. I also want to jump up and dance around you singing 'I know something you don't know! I know something you don't know!'"

"Go for it."

Lavender froze, then darted her eyes around the library. Most of the students were still at lunch, but there were a few students finishing up their homework, as well as Madam Pince.

"I couldn't," she meekly muttered as though she were contemplating something _sinful_.

"You seem to find this feeling so novel, you should just go for it, Lavender."

Lavender met Hermione's eyes and slowly stood up. She sauntered around the table and started to whisper/sing to Hermione.

"I know something you don't know," she started quietly. She swayed her hips in small movements as she moved left around Hermione.

"I know something you don't know." She got a little louder. She put her hands in Hermione's hair and started flinging it up in the air.

"I know something you don't know." The other students were now taking notice.

"I know something you don't know." She turned her back to Hermione and shimmied back and forth while dipping.

"I know something you don't know," she sang at normal volume, finally catching Madam Pince's attention. She must have sensed her chance was coming to an end and upped her game.

"I know something you don't know!" She yelled as she finished by hugging Hermione. Both girls laughed until Madam Pince reached their table.

"Miss Granger! Miss Brown! You must leave immediately!"

Hermione stood and beckoned the librarian closer. "Madam Pince?" She stepped even closer to the woman and whispered conspiratorially. "You've known me for five years now. You're not my biggest fan." She paused to make sure she was given the proper amount of attention. "Lavender has to _live_ with me. We sleep in the same room. We eat at the same table. We have the same class schedule. _She can't get away from me_. She was just taking her shot." She stepped back. "We'll be quiet now. Promise."

"No more shenanigans!" the librarian ordered. Then she winked at Lavender. "You must have the patience of a saint."

"I've always wanted to smother her in her sleep."

The two girls watched the surly librarian return to her post.

"Thanks, Hermione. It _is_ hard living with you. I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean you're nice and all. You're just always the best at everything, and we've always been standoffish with each other. There was about a year there where I really _did_ want to smother you in your sleep."

Hermione laughed nervously and sat back down.

"Now that you've finished your cathartic release, let's figure out what I have to do to get out of these Courtship Mandates."

"There's no getting out of them."

"Of course there is. I just don't know how to do it yet."

"So when your chaperone is magically linked to you and you can't lie to her, and you literally can't be more than ten feet from her, how do you think you'll escape?"

"What?" Hermione squeaked.

"If the Courtship Mandates are _all_ reinstated, and believe me, they were revoked for a reason, you will be in hell until you are married."

"Why does this have to be so bad? Maybe she'll be supportive."

Lavender sighed and shook her head.

"I am about to teach you everything I learned from my grandmother. It was hell. Every day she kept going on and on and on."

"Lav! Focus!"

"Sorry. So it's really very simple. Chaperone. You can't lie and you're stuck together like glue. If you and Draco want to spend time alone you better do it now. You have to plan the wedding—"

"Oh, no. _Narcissa_ is planning the wedding."

"But that's really all the bride has the right to do!"

"The _right_ to do?"

"Well, everything else is up to _his_ family. Where you live, when you have children, how many, what you name them, where they go to school, what charities you support, where you shop, what you wear—"

"Back up the bus! First of all, we are _not_ living where _Narcissa_ wants us to! Second of all, _no one_ decides how many children _I _have but _me_!"

"Do I not get a say?"

Hermione whipped her head around to see Draco and Blaise preparing to sit next to them at the table.

"Lavender has been telling me about the balance of power brought about in the Courtship Mandates."

"You mean my mother will have all the power."

"Yes. You don't think I should be mad about that?"

"I think you should be madder! If my father gets out of Azkaban, _he's_ the one that will have the power. We need to stop this from happening."

"Great! How do we do that?"

"I have no idea."

XXXXXXXXX

Draco pulled Hermione into his lap in the Arithmancy section at the back of the library. No one but Hermione ever went back there, so it was relatively secluded. Blaise was running interference for them a few aisles away.

"Can we get out of this somehow?"

"Hermione, I don't know if there's anything we can do."

"You could try to get your mother to swing her weight around again. She thought she was pissing me off, but now _you're_ getting hurt by her actions."

Draco's hands were sliding over her hips, making him remember the sweet moment of waking up in bed with her early this morning. It was making it hard for him to think.

"I can try. I can't imagine anything will happen. She enjoys having all the power."

Hermione grabbed his face to help him focus. "Do you understand that I'm _scared_?"

Draco stared into her pretty eyes. She _was_ scared. He hated it. He just didn't know what to do about it. He wanted to fix this more than anything in his entire life.

"Okay. Let's make a plan. Do we submit to the chaperones?"

"Do we have a choice? _Dumbledore_ is enforcing this."

"That's what I don't get. He _knows_ how horrible the Mandates are. Why isn't he fighting against this?"

"What do _you_ know about the Mandates?"

"Only the horror stories I've heard. It was a different time, the expectations were different. I think we should go talk to Dumbledore. There are four or five separate Mandates. I can't remember all of them. The attachment of chaperones is actually the second Mandate. The first is that only through your parents can you meet eligible spouses."

"But at Hogwarts—"

"I know, Hermione. You've read Hogwarts: A History. The creation of Hogwarts as a school for both witches _and_ wizards was not without scandal. That was just eclipsed by the decision to allow Muggleborns."

"I would have remembered any mention of Courtship Mandates. They are _not_ mentioned."

"No, they wouldn't be. Hogwarts made it very hard to enforce the Mandates. That's one of the reasons why they fell out of favor. The aristocracy knew Hogwarts was the highest level of education available for their children, so they pushed for the dissolution of the Mandates."

"How did your mother get the Wizengamot to agree to this?"

"Not all of the Mandates could be reinstated in today's society. She must have only pushed for _this_ one. My letter only mentioned the chaperone ceremony after breakfast tomorrow. Yours doesn't mention submitting to testing, does it?"

"Ugh, Lavender warned me about that. No, my letter just said to get ready to move and to meet after breakfast tomorrow."

"Well, part of being 'eligible' for marriage in the first Mandate is physical examination. If anyone approaches you about testing, you tell me immediately."

"I will. If I didn't show up for the chaperone thing, what would happen? We're already engaged! It wouldn't really change anything."

"Not between us, but you'd be kicked out of Hogwarts. Dumbledore said you had to comply."

"Draco, what are the other Mandates? What else should I be watching for?"

"I can't imagine the transfer of property would be happening in this day and age. This would be for _every_ engagement, not just ours. No one would think giving all of the lady's property to her new husband's family would be right or fair."

"That's awful!"

"It was the merging of families and fortunes. Anyway, the only other one I can think of my mother already mentioned. If you don't provide an heir within three years you could be…replaced. Before you get mad, I don't know how it's done! We should really find a book. And we just happen to be in the library!"

"Let's go ask Madam Pince, then!"

Hermione started to get up when Draco pulled her back to him.

"Hermione, give me ten minutes."

"Why?"

"I want to kiss you for a while. I don't know when I'll get another chance."

"Oh. That's sweet."

"It's not, it's selfish. Instead of spending the energy to solve this problem, I'm going to make out with my fiancée."

"I'm all for it, but just for a bit!"

Draco smiled as he pulled her closer. He was surprised when Hermione pushed herself fully into him to give him a deep kiss.

They spent the next half hour caught up in each other and ignoring Blaise and Lavender when they came to check on them.

"Oi! Hermione! Blech! That's gross!" Ron burst down the aisle toward them with Blaise and Harry on his heels.

"It's called kissing, Ron!" Hermione scolded as the extricated herself from Draco. "What do you want?"

"Since when do you make out in the stacks, then act all nonchalant?"

"It's none of your business, Ronald," Hermione scolded. "What do you need from me?"

"This situation is beyond fucked up! Can't you see?"

"Oh, I'm living it. If you're not going to help, just leave."

Hermione and Draco linked hands and pushed past the group to leave.

"You two running around like lovebirds? What do you think this is going to achieve?"

"Stop now, Ron!" Harry interrupted. "We came to tell you that McGonagall wants to see you immediately, Hermione."

"Why?"

"She said she had something to give you that would help the situation."

"Can she get me out of the chaperone thing?"

"What chaperone thing?"

"Oh, Harry, so much has happened. I'll catch you up. You and Ron should meet me after."

"That'll be a conversation filled with laughter."

"Ron, why are you rhyming?"

"I'm not rhyming. You'd better hurry up to McGonagall's office. That's a lot of climbing."

A/N:

Thanks for reading, everyone! And than you to Lucifeeer, Kermit 304, ASJS, and Chester99 for reviewing!


	5. Chapter 5

10/09/2014

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 5

"Of all the self-serving, irrational actions, she had to pick the most invasive. I knew she didn't like the situation, but why go to the Wizengamot?"

Hermione didn't know if that was rhetorical, so she didn't answer.

Professor McGonagall was pacing in a large circle that encompassed her desk as well as the chairs in front of it, forcing Hermione to swivel around to keep her professor in her field of vision.

"If she just wanted to torture you, she could have done it without including _all_ the other engaged couples in Britain! Did you know that people scheduled to be married _next week_ are being pulled in and given chaperones? Couples that are engaged and already living together are being told they have to move to separate residences until the wedding!"

"Professor?"

Professor McGonagall stopped pacing for a moment to answer.

"Yes?"

"Harry said you had something that would help."

"Oh, I believe I do. Now, just because I give this to you doesn't mean you don't have to comply with the Courtship Mandates."

The professor bustled back behind her desk and opened a drawer to root through it for a moment.

"Do you know if this is the only thing they're making us do? Lavender and Draco said there are other Mandates."

"I haven't heard otherwise. Now where did I put that?"

Hermione tried to be patient, but knew she was crackling with tension. Draco had decided to try to enlist Professor Snape as an ally. She hoped he was having better luck.

"Here it is! I knew I still had it!"

Professor McGonagall pulled out a familiar looking box and Hermione's heart sped up.

"Before you get excited, this is only going to work if you follow my instructions. Do you agree to my terms?"

"What are your terms?"

"I won't tell you unless you agree to abide by them. If you do not, this little box goes away."

Hermione stared at the box with longing. It was by far the most useful thing she'd ever used in her entire life…rivaled only by her wand.

"Okay, I guess."

"Miss Granger! This is extremely important! You must whole-heartedly comply!"

"I whole-heartedly comply!"

Hermione felt like her favorite professor didn't trust her anymore. The look she was being given was full of suspicion. Is this because Hermione had once asked her about sex, causing a peculiar meltdown?

The professor pursed her lips, then passed the box to Hermione.

She hadn't seen the Time Turner since she'd turned it back in at the end of third year. She could feel the thrum of the magic meeting hers again.

"Miss Granger, how you use this will either make this situation bearable or break you apart. You can, with careful orchestration, use this to thwart the chaperones."

"This is wonderful!"

"Hermione, this is what you need to do…_exactly_. Two days a week, _no more_, if you follow this schedule, you'll be able to do everything you want to do as well as everything you need to do. First, get your chaperone into the habit of using the restroom at the same time as you, right after your last class. Use the shared restrooms, not the prefects' bath. Make sure your chaperone uses the first stall, closest to the faucets. This is important, so you can keep track of her. Always enter the stall directly next to her. Actually _use_ the restroom. That may seem trivial, but if you do not she will ask you questions, and you will not be able to lie. Slowly wash your hands and take a little too long primping."

"This seems a little too specific."

"Do not underestimate the power of the mundane. It will put her at ease. On the days you do not use the Time Turner, it will be a normal part of the routine. On the days you do, it will be excellent camouflage."

"Okay. What's next?"

"Every day, attend all of your classes. _Be boring all day_. Take notes. Eat normally. But pay attention to everything your chaperone pays attention to. If you notice her staring out a particular window, you'll know to avoid the courtyard beyond when using the Time Turner. If she runs back into a room, you must see what she is doing so that you can make sure it won't affect you later. Don't get a detention or go somewhere you normally wouldn't."

"Makes sense."

"At the end of the school day, have your chaperone enter the restroom first, then put up a repelling charm to keep others out. Make sure you are the first out of the stall. Never use the Time Turner in the stall unless it is an emergency. You need room for all of your selves to move, without interacting with each other. When you are finished using the Time Turner, go into the next stall silently, leave the door slightly open, and climb up on the seat so you cannot be seen."

"Have you done this before?"

Professor McGonagall paused a little too long before answering, "Of course not. Don't be silly."

"It's just that this is really thought out."

"I may have tried it. Just once."

Hermione smiled at the mischief in her mentor's voice.

"Ahem. To continue, use the bathroom as home base. While it would appear to be advantageous to use Moaning Myrtle's restroom, please do not. While no students ever go there, Myrtle will not be able to keep your secret, especially from your chaperone. I suggest the restroom closest to this office. In case of emergency my classroom is also close and I will try to help. There are six stalls there. That means four repeats in one day."

"Four? That seems excessive."

"Quite. However, they will be needed. The first is for homework. Stay in this office. Do not answer any summons, for you are not here. Your time will be strained between the wedding and the chaperone, and I do not wish your studies to suffer."

"At least Narcissa is doing all the planning."

"_Narcissa_? Do not underestimate Mrs. Malfoy! If you take a flippant attitude towards her you won't see her attacks coming."

"Fine. _Mrs. Malfoy_ is planning the wedding."

"We'll have to discuss that later, for you are making a mistake. Now, the second trip is to plan the wedding. I will give you permission to leave the grounds to find everything you want for the wedding, and to plan with your parents."

"That's not going to happen."

"Please just trust me!"

Hermione never thought it would be a leap of faith to follow Professor McGonagall's orders, but she was finding it hard to contemplate planning her wedding!

"I don't want to get married, so I don't want to plan the wedding."

"Oh, Miss Granger, it won't be so terrible."

"Have _you_ ever planned a wedding?"

"Umm…no. Moving on," she rushed, "the third trip is to sleep. At that point you will have been awake for approximately twenty hours and will need the rest. I will arrange with Poppy to set up a cot in her office, out of sight of the rest of the wing."

"I'm exhausted just thinking about it."

"The final trip is to spend time with Draco. This is where it gets tricky."

Hermione scoffed, but Professor McGonagall pretended to not hear her.

"You must find Draco in a safe place and go even further back to spend time together. Stay in the Room of Requirement, for if _anyone_ sees you it will mean an end to your advantage."

Hermione thought about what all she had to do in the next few days and it made her head swim.

"You must be meticulous. It could fall apart _so_ easily."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

After an exhausting _three hours_ in Snape's office debating, all Draco wanted to do for the rest of the night was be alone with Hermione. The second he saw her he was going to scoop her up and go hide away in the Room of Requirement for hours and hours.

Girls that just a few weeks ago were stalking him, trying to get his attention or trap him in an engagement, were avoiding him. Draco hoped it was because they were ashamed of their past behavior, but knew it wasn't probable.

The Greengrass sisters still blushed when he passed by, but there was no flirting, no falsely casual approach. Had he really been contemplating marrying one of them?

Draco came upon Hermione as she was exiting the library. They stopped twenty feet from each other in surprise, and Draco felt a wonderful sense of expectation come over him.

He had smiled widely at her and taken one step when a loud whoop was heard and _Weasley_ bound up to Hermione, picked her up and whirled her in a circle.

Hermione looked back at Draco, bemused and bewildered. She started to beckon him closer to share in the discovery of Weasley's jubilant mood, when the wanker _dipped_ his fiancée and kissed her deeply.

Draco froze, and a familiar rage rose up in him.

Hermione's arms were waving ineffectually around, as though she were trying to keep her balance, or was readying to catch herself if Weasley dropped her. She was making a distressed keening noise that Weasley interpreted incorrectly.

He quickly pulled her up, smiled goofily, and said, "I can't believe that worked! We'll meet up later and make plans, love! Gotta go!"

Hermione watched him go, then turned back to Draco. Some time later neither had managed to move, but Hermione finally found her voice.

"What the fuck?"

A/N:

I. , thank you for the review, even though it didn't make sense. ASJS, thank you for reviewing as well!

Next is chaperone time!


	6. Chapter 6

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 6

Hermione had never _Scourgified_ her mouth before, but she was contemplating it now. She had brushed her teeth twice, and that was after Draco had flushed her mouth with an _Aguamenti_ spell.

"I can still feel it wriggling around in there!"

"Can we _please_ stop talking about it? I'm getting queasy!"

It was bad enough that Ron had kissed her. Why had he had to use tongue? If any old fantasies of kissing Ron had remained, they were obliterated now.

"Get my mind off it. How was your conversation with Professor Snape?"

"He won't help me convince my mother to undo her actions. He says they're for my own good. Mumbled something about unintended consequences. Then he got all surly and didn't want to talk about it anymore. So I asked him about the Mandates and he didn't want to talk about them, either. He did warn me, though, that since this one has been reinstated someone else might petition for the others to be brought back. Of course, the Wizengamot would have to agree to it. Not many people have the backing my mother has."

"Ugh. Why would anyone bother? If they were repealed once, maybe I can repeal this one again. I still want to discuss this with Professor Dumbledore."

"Tomorrow. Right now I just want to go the kitchen, get some food, then find a cozy hideaway. If this is the last night we'll be together until the wedding I want to make it count."

Hermione's heart started pounding so hard she was afraid he'd be able to hear it.

"Are you planning…" Hermione started suggestively.

"No! Woman, I will not let you cajole me into relations! I am a delicate flower that needs time to bloom!"

"You didn't let me finish my insinuation!"

"You pressuring me for sex is not without a certain appeal. Some day I will give in and let you deflower me, but not today."

"Is it still called deflowering if it's a guy?"

"I have no idea. I don't know…devirginize?"

"Unvirginify?"

"Unleashing the geyser."

"That's a little presumptuous. What if it isn't that impressive?"

"Give me a little credit."

"Credit must be earned."

"Whatever. What's the male version of a flower?"

"De-cactusing?"

"That just sounds gross."

"Better than if you were a girl. Even though we don't have to worry about it, you could say you were going to pop my cherry!" Hermione laughed to herself for a moment before she realized Draco was looking at her quizzically.

"What does that mean?"

Hermione stopped walking and faced Draco to see if he was serious. He was.

"Wow. Draco, think that through."

She watched his stoic face for a full minute.

"I still don't get it. How could that be a euphemism for your first time?"

"I am _not_ explaining that to you."

Hermione turned back toward the kitchens.

She wondered what Draco knew about the female anatomy. Was she going to have to teach him _everything_? While that could be fun, she hoped he had enough working knowledge to make their first time enjoyable.

"You do know that I'm not mad that you want to wait, right? I mean, I'm not really ready either, I just want to experiment. You know, _play_. It's supposed to be fun."

"I've…liked the things we've done," Draco started tentatively. "I never thought I would be with a girl that didn't act like relations weren't scary or sacred. No offense or anything, but Pureblood girls don't _act_ the way you do."

"You talk like there aren't any Pureblood girls with any spirit, and I _know_ that's not true!"

"It's not that they don't have spirit, it's the way they were raised. You're good friends with Ginny Weasley, has she ever talked to you about relations?"

"No." Hermione thought that _was_ odd. "I always thought it was because I was her brother's best friend, but maybe it was because there was nothing to talk about. She hadn't done anything and she wasn't contemplating doing anything because she knew the consequences."

"Exactly. Anyway, tonight I just want to be with you and talk and…whatever else we want to do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco slowly entered the unused classroom on the first floor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the grown ups hadn't shown up yet. He made a beeline for Hermione and gave her a swift hug.

"Thought I was going to be late. Blaise is right behind me." He turned to Hannah Abbott and Roger Davies. "Good morning."

He might as well start out courteous. He was going to be living with Davies for the rest of the year.

"Morning," Abbott murmured. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep. She kept shooting worried looks at Davies. Every once in a while she would catch his eye and he'd scowl at her.

He turned back to Hermione and gave her a good once over. She looked _good_. It was going to be torture to be separated from her.

Draco laughed to himself. Been engaged for a week and already couldn't fathom life without her.

"Draco, before they get here I want to get something off my chest. I don't want to get married. I'm sorry! It's not that I don't want to marry you, I don't want to marry _anyone_."

Draco smiled into her worried face. "You're such a _Gryffindor_. Fine, you don't want to. But you will. For many reasons. And just for the record…I don't want to get married right away, even though I do want to marry you. I think getting married before we've finished our apprenticeships is needlessly complicated."

Draco turned Hermione away from the others in the room and kissed her lightly, but with feeling.

"I like the way you make me feel, just by being in the same room. And for the next few months I'll have to settle for that. You just keep in mind that I'll always be thinking of you."

"You're such a romantic sap," Hermione smiled.

"Yeah. Shut up. You'll be thinking of me, too."

"That's probably true."

Their moment was interrupted by Blaise sneaking in just before a rather large group of professors and other unknown people entered.

The last to enter was Ron Weasley, much to Draco's chagrin.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ron snapped back.

"Don't be daft. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to get my chaperone!" Ron pulled his parchment from his pocket and waved it in Draco's face.

"Who would be desperate enough to get engaged to you?"

"Hermione, of course! I'm going to take her as my wife!"

"The hell you are!" Hermione yelled so loudly everyone stopped their chattering to stare.

"After yesterday afternoon, you know it to be true." Ron turned to Draco with a smirk. "She loves me. She said so. We had _relations_ and there's nothing you can do about it."

Draco laughed in his face. "I don't know who you fucked yesterday, Weasley, but Hermione was in McGonagall's office all afternoon. The first she'd seen of you was outside the library when you assaulted her."

"Bull. You're just mad that she threw you over for me!"

"The hell I am! I'm still engaged to Hermione!"

"Ronald Weasley!" McGonagall beckoned from the other side of the classroom. "Miss Granger was indeed in my classroom all afternoon."

Ron turned a sickly yellowish white and Draco wondered if the arse was going to faint.

"Really?" he asked McGonagall, looking from the professor to Hermione in clear disbelief.

"Really," Hermione answered apologetically, though Draco was at a loss as to what she had to be sorry for.

"Let us start the ceremony! At the end we can figure out who exactly is engaged to who," Dumbledore announced.

All four heads of house were in attendance, as well as the headmaster. Beside them were three women and five men.

"Ahem. Thank you all for joining us this morning for the bonding ceremony between betrothed witch and…betrothed witch _or wizard_ and chaperone. The chaperones are in the master class at Aphrodite's London branch if memory serves. I believe the most expedient way would be to go in alphabetical order. Miss Abbott, if you would?"

Abbott joined Dumbledore at the front of the classroom and was joined by her head of house and a squat woman in her fifties that looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

Abbott and the unknown woman faced each other at Dumbledore's urging, and clasped each other's forearms as thought preparing to make an Unbreakable Vow.

Draco watched as they repeated after Dumbledore and a pink ghostly chain was layered over their hands.

And it was done.

Davies rolled his eyes throughout his turn, but when the ghostly chain affixed him to his chaperone he got quite quiet and introspective. He remained stoic through the rest of the ceremony.

"Hermione Granger!" Draco watched his fiancée move quickly to Dumbledore and give a tentative smile to the slender woman that met her there. She looked…_odd_. There was something Draco couldn't put his finger on.

There was no hesitation when Hermione said the words and she watched in obvious fascination as the tether formed on her hand.

She turned away as soon as possible and gave Draco a sad smile.

"Draco Malfoy."

Draco stepped up to the headmaster and faced the middle-aged man next to him.

"Repeat after me, Mr. Malfoy. I, Draco Malfoy, choose Tarquin Tremlett as my chaperone. He will be my constant companion. I will always be truthful with him."

Draco repeated the words with dread. He could feel Hermione being pulled farther and farther away from him.

He stepped back to return to Hermione's side, but was led toward the other wall. He resisted a bit, then felt a slight pain in his chest. That's all he needed to know.

Everyone had settled back, and were frankly getting bored, when Dumbledore continued.

"Severus Snape!"

A/N:

Thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it:

KodeV, Chester99, Lucifeeer, ASJS, and D.


	7. Chapter 7

10/14/2014

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 7

"No fucking way!"

"Fifty points from Slytherin!"

"Blaise!" hissed Draco.

"Sorry, man, but can you even imagine? Snape getting married and having kids? '_You will never harness the power of the universe unless you eat your broccoli_,'" Blaise mimicked with eerie precision. "_'I believe I expressed my wishes that you be asleep now. Do not force me to administer a Draught of Living Death, Little Morag!'_"

Draco held his breath as his head of house silently moved next to Blaise.

"'_It appears you have procured a boo-boo. Do not heal that wound! We must harvest the blood for my stores_.'"

"Mr. Zabini."

Blaise stiffened.

"I believe I'll be seeing you in detention for the next month."

"Yes, sir."

Snape turned to the headmaster. "There has been a mistake. My former fiancée is dead. She has been for many years."

"Did you not receive a letter?"

"I thought it a cruel joke."

"Very well, we will meet in my office after the rest of the students are linked to their chaperones. Let's see…who's next. Romilda Vane?"

"Ha! That's who you fucked, Weasley!"

"100 points from Slytherin!"

"Blaise!"

"Well obviously she was Polyjuiced to look like Hermione! You can probably thank that Loony Lovegood for that. That headpiece made of Hermione's hair is sitting on a pedestal in the Great Hall for anyone to get a hair from."

"No no no no no nononono…" Weasley's muttering was getting louder and more maniacal.

"Ron?" Hermione tried to get his attention. "Calm down. Just breathe."

"Calm down? I'm engaged to Romilda Vane! She's nuts! And possibly homicidal!"

"It's not the end of the world! We now know she's in the castle and we can catch her!"

"She wasn't _in_ the castle," murmured Weasley.

"Huh?"

"I was coming from the Quidditch pitch yesterday and out of nowhere you were just _there_ and you wanted to take a walk with me and _talk_ and you looked like you and sounded like you and…I just wanted it to _be_ you so badly. I should have known. The second we were in the Forbidden Forest she started undressing and I seriously thought I was hallucinating. Or dreaming."

"You really thought that I would do that?"

"I really _hoped_ you would do that."

"I _hoped_ for years that you would pay attention to me! The second I become attached to someone else you decide you want me? What about the last three years? _Three years_, Ron! You couldn't have wanted me then?"

"I didn't think of you as a girl then!"

"Weasley, you are a fucking idiot!" Blaise ignored the further 100 points taken from Slytherin. "I wasn't supposed to be looking, and I knew she had the best tits!"

"Blaise!"

"Mr. Zabini!" Dumbledore sounded very calm, but impatient. "Please desist. You've been losing house points at an alarming rate. Perhaps you could save your quips for a more appreciative audience. Let us continue. Mr. Weasley, regardless of which young lady you are engaged to, it is time to meet your chaperone."

Weasley sulked his way to the headmaster, and a rather handsome middle-aged man met him there. Draco thought Weasley looked intimidated by his chaperone, and stammered all through the short ceremony.

"Mr. Zabini," Dumbledore beckoned.

"This isn't fair. My fiancée isn't even in the country! This is completely useless."

"Nevertheless…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione watched Draco, Blaise, and their chaperones as they walked away from her. Draco kept looking back, only to have his chaperone purposefully move into her line of sight. She was already getting frustrated.

"Your fiancé is quite attractive."

"Yeah. He knows."

A small muffled giggle escaped her chaperone, Tilda. "Bit arrogant?"

"Yeah. He knows that, too."

"Self-aware. That's an interesting quality in a teenager. I've seen self-absorbed, but it's usually a vapid, vacuous sort of behavior. Not realizing they're being the way they are."

"You sound like a psychologist."

"What's a psychologist?"

"Muggle doctor. Helps people with emotional and behavioral problems, mostly."

"Hmmm. Sounds worthless. Sounds like they're taking advantage of people without parents or friends."

Hermione didn't know how do respond to that. Was Tilda actually interested in the Muggle world? Or was she disparaging it?

"Tilda, would you like to get a cup of tea?"

"My, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea."

Hermione found herself sitting in Madame Puddifoot's twenty minutes later. She was surprised to find out that chaperones could take the students as far as Hogsmeade without permission from the headmaster.

"I've always loved chintz. Don't you just _love_ chintz?"

Hermione would never have thought from the looks of her that Tilda would like flowery fabrics. She was quite posh, really, in a Wizarding kind of way. Not _Narcissa_ posh, but a less moneyed sort. She looked _streamlined_.

Hermione was a bit intimidated. She never gave a thought to how she looked, other than to worry that her hair wasn't doing anything mysterious. Part of that was the uniforms, which Hermione secretly loved, and part of it was that her two best friends were boys, and they could care less what she wore and, unfortunately, what she looked like.

"It's chintzy. So how did you end up in the Master Class at Aphrodite's?"

"If you knew better, you wouldn't ask that question," was the terse reply.

"So inform me. I love to learn."

Tilda took a bit too long in preparing her cup and taking an experimental sip, then perusing the small selection of scones and other small treats in front of them. She settled on a petit four and, while Hermione waited not-so-patiently, nibbled the frosting from one side, turned it completely around, then nibbled the frosting on the other side.

"Are you really not going to tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'll wish you didn't know."

"Please just tell me. The curiosity will kill me otherwise. I can be quite stubborn. I will pester you until you tell me. I won't be able to help myself."

Hermione froze at the look Tilda gave her, as though she were shit on her shoe.

She actually moved back away from the table a bit. She made sure that there was no way Tilda could touch her if she remained seated.

"Hermione," she paused, possibly rethinking the informality of using their first names, "I am at Aphrodite's because I killed my husband."

A/N:

Short but sweet. And very fun to write!

Thanks to everyone who read this, and thanks to everyone that reviewed! ASJS, IGOTEAMEDWARD, KodeV, Chester99, and Kermit 304. Also, the reviewer that every time I type your name in to thank you my computer kicks it back out. Thank you, too.


	8. Chapter 8

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 8

"Did he deserve it?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough. Do you mind if we stop into the bookstore before we go back?"

"That's all? No righteous anger? No suspicion? No _fear_?"

Hermione looked at Tilda squarely. She understood her disbelief. _She_ wasn't about to share with Tilda that she may very well have shot someone to death two days ago. If Tilda believed her husband deserved to die, Hermione was going to believe that to be true. Since Tilda was sitting across from her instead of rotting in Azkaban, and she had been picked to spend time with children, Hermione's mind was at ease.

"Nope."

"Fine. Let's talk about this arrangement. Have you seen the dormitory?"

"Not yet. But I am packed."

"What is your class schedule?"

"First class starts at 9:00. Breakfast beforehand. Lunch in the middle. Classes end at 4:00. Then I go to the library until dinner. Depending on the amount of homework I have, sometimes it's back to the library. Sometimes I have prefect duties. At 10:00 I meet with Harry and Ron and we hang out in the common room until midnight or so."

"Hmmm. I'll have to make sure you don't have prefect duties of Friday or Saturday nights. You'll have to accompany me here so I can continue to meet my beau."

"Your beau?"

Tilda had a goofy smile that Hermione found quite charming.

"Niall. I have hopes that he will soon propose and I can rid myself of Aphrodite's."

"Why are you there if you hate it so much?"

"It's not the place itself. It's what it signifies. The hopeless, the damaged, the unlovable. The place is plagued with sad sack men and desperate women supposedly learning how to live a full and happy life without a spouse. What's really happening is that they're sizing each other up, looking for someone that's not a complete disaster so they can team up and escape."

"Is that where you met Niall?"

Tilda laughed. "Hell no!"

Hermione smiled at the profanity. "Then how did you meet?"

"He was my childhood sweetheart. I dreamed of the day we'd get married. It was quite the elaborate fantasy. Little did I know, my parents had me engaged to…. I was forced to marry a man I didn't love. It ended badly. That was unfortunate. But now Niall and I have a second chance!"

"I take it you see each other every Friday and Saturday night?"

"Oh, yes! Sunday afternoon as well, but now that I'm in this situation I assume you will be using Sunday afternoon and evening to cram."

"No, I'm quite far ahead in my studies. If you'd like to meet Niall Sunday afternoons as well I wouldn't mind. Have you considered that if you and Niall get engaged, you'll also have to have a chaperone?"

"Yes, and it is most inconvenient. However, I will be happy with a short engagement. I can live with it as long as I get Niall at the end."

"Tilda, do you plan to tell anyone about what we discuss? Or are you required to?"

"No. Why?"

"I was just wondering if it was appropriate to ask you questions or share confidences. We will be living in each other's pockets until Niall proposes, and I have a lot of questions about Courtship and the Courtship Mandates."

"Oh. Ummm…I can't say it'd be appropriate, but as you can probably tell, I'm not too traditional. As long as no one finds out, I wouldn't mind a few questions here and there."

"You'll probably regret saying that," Hermione said with a smile.

XXXXXXXXX

"Are you wanking in there? Is that what's taking you so long?"

Tarquin Tremlett was a douche. That's the only word Draco could think of that was adequate.

"That little Hermione has quite the body. I'd imagine that's why you can't keep your hands off your junk."

Draco knew he couldn't kill him. He couldn't even _step_ toward Tarquin with the intent to hurt him.

"Bit raw down there? Overstimulation?"

Would _Silencing_ him count as an attack?

"Want me to talk you through it?"

"Why, because you have so many years of experience?"

"What did you just say to me?"

Draco turned swiftly in his bathroom stall when Tarquin slammed his fist into the flimsy door.

_Okay_, Draco thought, _he's a bit touchy_.

"You were fucking with me, am I not allowed to reciprocate?"

"You will treat me with the respect I deserve!"

"Will _you_ treat me with the respect _I_ deserve?"

"You deserve no respect. You're ruining your bloodline! You had _everything_ and you threw it away for a dirty Mudblood snatch!"

Draco forced himself to stay in the stall. He was afraid he'd try to hurt the bastard. If he tried he knew he'd be magically frozen and left at Tarquin's mercy. _And Tarquin doesn't have any mercy_, Draco thought.

"Do you know how I became engaged? Did you read about it in the Prophet?"

"Some bullshit about an accident. I think you just _had_ to get your dick wet, didn't you?"

Draco shut his eyes and counted to ten. He would calmly deal with his _sensitivities._

Then he would figure out a way to get rid of Tarquin Tremlett.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, I'm not feeling too hot. Could we head back to the castle?"

Hermione felt hot…then cold…then hot again. Her vision was getting darker.

"Not feeling well? That's too bad. Let's go find our new home, shall we?"

By the time the two women reached Hogwarts, Tilda was dragging Hermione behind her by the hand. Hermione was stumbling. She had tunnel vision and was trying to communicate with Tilda that she'd like to see Madam Pomfrey.

"Where is that stairwell again? It's been so many years since I was a student here…ah! There it is. Maybe we'll be the first there and get to choose our beds!"

Tilda's voice was overly cheerful and Hermione couldn't decide if she was oblivious or intentionally mean.

Two minutes later Tilda let them into their new room and deposited Hermione on a bed across from the door.

"Someone beat us here. Darn! Well, get under the covers! Pretty soon you won't be able to move and I'll have to do everything!"

"What…"

"I really think you're too trusting. Just because the Ministry set this up doesn't mean you should trust me."

"Why?" Hermione weakly questioned.

"Niall. Aphrodite's. Money. Lucius Malfoy has a lot of it. It could buy my freedom."

"Are you some kind of slave?"

"Ha! No. What I am is a Pureblood princess with no family to take care of me and no money. I have no _means_. This is just self-preservation. If dispatching you makes my life better, so be it."

Hermione focused all her power on getting the time turner from her shirt. She concentrated as hard as she could and carefully took herself back to that morning, just before she went to the ceremony.

As she watched the world reverse she heard the echo of Tilda's roar of pain, and experienced the agony of magical separation.

A/N:

We'll have to stick with Hermione for a while, or the story will incomprehensible. Don't worry; Draco will be in it plenty.

Thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate your comments: Lucifeeer, julietrose21, X-x-Psycho-x-X, ASJS, Kermit 304, Chester99, and KodeV.


	9. Chapter 9

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 9

"…them off. There's no way we can have the ceremony right now!"

"They're already here. It would be impolite to cancel."

"I will not subject Miss Granger to the ceremony unless I know what she has been through."

"I will apologize profusely and reschedule for this evening."

"You do that."

Hermione was slowly waking up, and she felt _bizarre_.

She felt like she was back on the painkillers she was given when she broke her arm. It was the feeling of knowing you were in pain, but not really caring.

"Who poisoned her? How did they do it? The magical signature is so complicated…it's almost as though on top of being poisoned Miss Granger was cursed! But the diagnostic spell clearly said Moonseed Poison! How did she stay awake? Why was she screaming?"

Hermione cracked her eyes open to see the headmaster and the medi-witch on one side of her bed studying the diagnostics, Professors Snape and McGonagall on the other, quietly bickering.

"Thank the heavens that the bezoar worked, Severus. Now if we can only figure out why she is in such pain."

They had used a bezoar? _Ewwww_. The idea of a bezoar as a life-saving measure was textbook first-year potions knowledge…but it was _disgusting_. If she weren't in the state of "I don't care" she would probably be retching!

"It is not a side-effect of the poison or the bezoar. It must be a physical ailment or a curse!"

"It isn't physical. That would have shown up in the diagnostic spell."

"It almost looks like spell damage! Like she tried to break an unbreakable vow!"

"Chaperone," Hermione croaked out. Why did her throat hurt so much?

"Hermione?" Professor McGonagall's face was suddenly much too close to hers. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Yeah. My chaperone poisoned me. Then, when I used your gift there was a _ripping_ pain."

"My…_oh_. Yes, I see. Albus, I have made a terrible mistake. I was only trying to help!"

"You did help me! If I hadn't used your gift I would be dead, wouldn't I?"

"Pray tell, what is this mysterious _gift_?" Professor Snape asked.

Professor McGonagall looked guiltily at the others gathered around Hermione. "It's just that the whole situation was so unfair! Narcissa Malfoy was exercising control over Hermione's life and I wanted to give Hermione a way to fight back! I thought I had considered _everything_."

"You didn't consider that my chaperone would be a homicidal maniac?" Hermione asked casually.

"Your chaperone?" Professor Snape questioned. "The ceremony isn't for another twenty minutes. They've just arrived and are having tea in the Great Hall."

"I gave her a time turner," Professor McGonagall murmured, clearly embarrassed.

"Where did you get a time turner?" Professor Dumbledore asked curiously. "I've always wanted one, but they are kept under such strict rules by the Ministry. I tried to make one once. Something went wrong. Before I knew it all the produce in the kitchens was rotting. The elves were beside themselves. They thought it was something _they_ had done. That was quite the…"

"Headmaster," Professor Snape interrupted, "if you would, do you think you could get the dissolution spell for Miss Granger? I'd like to get this bonding undone before I have to administer another pain potion."

"The only way for the bond between a betrothed witch and a chaperone to be dissolved is for it to be overridden by the bond between man and wife."

"That can't be true!" Hermione yelled. "There has to be a counter-spell! I will not get married!"

"Albus, _really_, there must be a way."

"Oh, well, yes! Death. Hermione or her chaperone could die, therefore dissolving the bond."

"That's a little extreme."

"Doesn't really seem that extreme," Hermione commented.

"Haven't we had this conversation before?" asked Professor Snape.

"Call my parents!"

"Hermione, why?"

"They have friends that are medical doctors. We _did_ discuss this before. When I was trying to find a way out of the engagement."

Professor Snape scoffed. "Foolhardy. Yes, I understand that the Muggle science is plausible, but the risk is too great. You could die…permanently."

"What is the other option? Letting her suffer?" Madam Pomfrey defended.

Hermione was quite shocked. Had she found an unexpected ally in the medi-witch?

The debate was interrupted by Professor Sprout bustling in, followed closely by Draco and Blaise.

"Why was I not informed immediately? That is my _fiancée_! I had to learn that she has been in the hospital wing for _hours_ by accident?"

"Calm yourself," Professor Snape ordered.

"What happened to her?" Draco demanded.

Professor Dumbledore led Draco from the door to Hermione's side. "She was poisoned. Thanks to a bezoar Hermione survived."

"A bezoar? _Ewww_. And I thought Weasley tongue was the grossest thing I'd have to scrape out of your mouth before I kissed you!"

Draco smiled down at Hermione and she woozily grinned back.

"What's wrong with her?" The smile was replaced quickly on Draco's face by fear.

"Strongest pain relief potion and spell combination we have," supplied Madam Pomfrey.

"What poison was it? How long will the aftereffects linger?"

"It was Moonseed Poison," Professor Snape said. "In combination with the attempted dissolution of a bonding spell. It has…complicated things."

"Hermione? Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Nope. Hunky dory here!"

"How long is she going to be loopy?"

The adults exchanged worried looks. The headmaster stepped forward to lay a comforting hand on Draco's arm.

"We find ourselves with a rather unsolvable problem. Or rather, the only solutions are drastic. Hermione was bonded to her chaperone, then used a time turner to return to a time where her chaperone is not yet bonded to her. Hermione is still bound, and therefore is suffering the agony of a fractured bonding spell."

"So find this chaperone and re-bind her!"

"Impossible. First, Hermione claims her chaperone is the one that poisoned her."

"She did! The bitch. Let's kill her!" Hermione interrupted, letting all the indignity she felt shine through.

The headmaster cleared his throat and continued. "Second of all, Hermione is already bound. She can not be bound again to a chaperone, even to the same person as long as the first spell is in place."

"Well then, what do we do? Just tell me! I'll do it!"

"You won't like it," warned Professor Snape. "You didn't like it the first time around, you'll like it even less now."

Hermione watched Draco, _her sexy Draco_, as he started to pace. There was nothing wrong with her hearing, her thought process was just a little screwy. She had followed the conversation perfectly well and knew that she was going to see if her theory would work. She was pleased. She knew her hypothesis was sound.

Easy peasy. Lemon squeezy!

_Okay_, she thought, _maybe her thought process was more than just a _little_ bit screwy_.

"No!" Draco had caught on quickly and tried to put the kibosh on the idea once again.

"This isn't like before," Professor Snape said with more compassion than Hermione had ever heard from the abrasive man. "She will have to be dosed with pain potions and kept under constant care unless this bond is dissolved."

"And the only way is to kill her?"

"Well, no," Madam Pomfrey thoughtfully mentioned.

Draco ignored her. "Couldn't we kill the chaperone instead?"

"It wouldn't have an effect. The timeline Hermione has already experienced still exists. We're now experiencing a new timeline. In _this_ timeline the chaperone not only isn't bonded to Hermione, she hasn't tried to poison her. In essence we'd be killing an innocent woman."

"I hate this! I hate this _so_ much!" Draco yelled, then calmed himself down with a visible effort. He leaned in to look Hermione in the face. "If I lost you…I don't know what I'd do!"

"So don't lose her."

Hermione looked past Draco's glorious face to see Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey smiling widely at each other.

Draco looked sadly at Hermione. "So many things could go wrong!"

Hermione smiled goofily at her fiancé. "Nothing will go wrong!" She reached up and pinched his cheek. "Silly boy! Muggles are amazing! Some day I'll tell you all about space exploration and Facebook! Antibiotics and cell phones! Splitting the atom and Eastenders!"

"I think you misunderstood me, Mr. Malfoy. There _is_ another option."

Draco's face was hidden from Hermione's view when Professor Dumbledore related the other solution. However, the effect was instantaneous and overwhelming.

"You could marry, therefore dissolving the chaperone's bond."

Draco froze, then whooped while jumping up with his arms in the air.

"Yes! Hermione! Yes!"

His joy was infectious and she could feel the answering smile taking over her face, even though in the back of her mind she didn't like the idea of a shotgun wedding.

Suddenly her vision was filled with Professor Snape's assessing visage. "We must dose her soon or the pain will become unbearable."

Hermione tried to move her head to free her gaze of her potion master's stern face. She wanted to watch Draco celebrate his good fortune.

She saw that he had grabbed Blaise, who had been uncharacteristically sober and _quiet_ during this debate, and pulled him into a celebratory hug.

Draco turned back to Hermione, bent over her, and in front of everyone, kissed her deeply.

Finally Blaise spoke up.

"Hey, Draco! What does a bezoar taste like?"

Madam Pomfrey, who had been tearily enjoying the expression of young love, smacked him on the back of the head.

A/N:

Going in a different direction. Realized I had an issue since time turners only go back about seven hours, throwing off my original idea. I'm trying to keep the story 90% in canon, using devices, potions, Weasley products that "exist," etc. Bah….

Thanks for sticking with me! This is darker than I'd intended, but brighter times are ahead. Thanks for the reviews: julietrose21, KodeV, Thomatshu, and Chester99!


	10. Chapter 10

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 10

"What are you going to do about your mother?" Blaise asked casually, as though the weight of the question were inconsequential.

"She's my mother. She's always been difficult."

"Difficult? You think this behavior is just temperament? Wake up!"

Truthfully, Draco didn't know what to do. His mother was supposedly on her way to Hogwarts for his _wedding_, and he was terrified she'd do something to spoil it. Not that it was going to be the romantic moment he had been looking forward to, but his mother was deceitful and unpredictable and would make the tense situation worse if she could.

But she was the only person that had shown him real affection for the first _fifteen years_ of his life. She _adored_ him. She went to extraordinary lengths to make sure he was happy. It was only recently that she had shown any displeasure in him or his actions.

But still!

Two days ago she had stepped into a fight with Voldemort to protect her son and one of his oldest friends, Greg. While she hadn't set out to defy the Dark Lord, it meant a lot to Draco that she had stood with him, and inadvertently with Hermione. She had even thrown her hat into the ring of "I may have killed the Dark Lord" when they were debating it.

The next day she had moved the world to try to make Hermione miserable, and it had turned on Draco, too.

Draco had the suspicion that his mother was trying to keep him from falling in love.

Not that _love_ had ever been the goal for his mother. She just wanted Draco to turn into his father. She didn't care that he didn't _want_ to.

Draco had never liked the life that had been planned for him, but he had never before had a reason to give up the parts he _did_ like.

Money was nice. Privilege was nice. Being handsome was nice.

He wanted to punch himself in the face.

What was _wrong_ with him? The only things he liked about his life didn't _mean_ anything.

_No_, not the _only_ things. He had _great_ friends.

Snape had dosed Hermione and she was going to be asleep for a few hours, so he and Blaise had meandered over to Greg's bed.

After making sure his status hadn't changed, Draco took a seat where he could also keep an eye on Hermione.

Blaise found a mystery glue-like substance and proceeded to style Greg's hair into twenty orange spikes. He turned and gave Draco an "isn't that awesome?" smile, then started shaking his hands vigorously.

"What was that stuff?"

"No idea. Now my hands are a little numb. Is that bad?"

"Only if you want to use them."

"Okay, they're _really_ numb now."

"Maybe you should wash it off."

"Sure. Right. Umm…my fingers aren't moving, either."

"What do you mean, they aren't moving?"

"I mean, see this?" He held up his hands, fingers pointing heavenward, palms toward himself, and scrunched up his nose in concentration. He squeaked a bit in exertion.

"What are you doing?"

"_I'm flipping you off_!" Blaise screamed with uncharacteristic rage. "When I tell you my fingers aren't moving, arsehole, I mean _my fingers aren't moving_!"

"Well, I'm sure they'll be fine. Pomfrey wouldn't have anything dangerous in here."

"The fuck she wouldn't!"

Draco studied his best friend. There was a reason they gravitated toward each other. They both had money, prestige, and looks, but Blaise was _happy_. Maybe not _right now_, but in general he had a happy life. He was funny, and let his passions rule him. He did things before he thought about the consequences, and rolled with whatever happened.

It was usually with more grace than he was exuding right now.

"What happens when I have to pee?" Blaise asked in equal parts realization and terror.

"Don't think about it."

When Blaise started toward Pomfrey's office, Draco grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Man! What?" Blaise yelled.

"Is it wrong? That I'm marrying Hermione right now?"

"You heard Snape. She's in pain. There are two solutions. One is crazy and life-threatening. The other…well, that's crazy and life-threatening, too, but at least you get sex out of the deal."

"And Hermione."

"Hermione is quite the prize."

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"Yeah, she wouldn't see the compliment. She's a complicated woman. But you are a deeply lucky man."

"I wish I were more like you."

"Of course you do."

Draco smiled.

"Seriously. You're happy, like all the time."

"No, I'm hyper. And I don't take anything seriously. _You're_ quite dour."

"Dour?"

"Dour. You have _everything_, but you know it's not what you need. You think too much. You plan. You study. You're responsible."

"You say those things like they're _bad_."

"Those were your _good_ attributes. You're also a bigoted jerk. At least you were until you and Granger happened."

"Hermione," Draco corrected.

Blaise smirked, "_Hermione_, and a week ago you _hated_ her."

"Hate is such a _strong_ word."

"Yet accurate! You wouldn't go within five feet of her without being mean to her. And it wasn't the 'I think she's cute so I'm going to pull her pigtails' kind of mean. You wouldn't have cared if she'd gotten hurt. You would have laughed and ridiculed her and enjoyed every minute of it."

Draco felt an odd sense of panic.

Everything Blaise said was true!

"I can see the pixies flying in your head. Knock it off."

"I wish I could have your attitude."

"You couldn't handle my attitude."

Draco smiled. "Your hands are blue."

"Fuck!" Blaise took off yelling for Pomfrey.

Dumbledore had warned him that during the ceremony Hermione wouldn't be able to be on any potions or under the influence of any charms. Say what you will about old magic, but it knows what it's doing. Anything that affects a person's faculties repels a marriage bond.

What that meant for _this_ situation was that Hermione was going to have to be quickly weaned off the pain relief potion, the charm was going to be lifted, and she was going to have to concentrate through _extreme_ pain to complete the bonding.

McGonagall had gone to fetch her parents from their tooth place. Whatever that was called. Hermione told him once, but he truly hadn't cared at the moment, since she had been braless and pressed up against him.

He was supposed to be getting Potter and Weasley, as McGonagall insisted Hermione would want them there, but Draco didn't want to leave the room. Anyway, last time he'd seen Weasley the idiot had kissed _his_ fiancé.

He was brought out of his musings by a slender woman poking her head in the door.

He watched her slowly approach Hermione, then look around suspiciously. She startled when she saw Draco gazing back at her.

"Oh! Hello there!" A patently false smile overtook her lips. "Is this Hermione Granger? Harry Potter's best friend?"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm a chaperone! _Her_ chaperone, if I'm not mistaken. I was told I was being dismissed back to Aphrodite's, but I was hoping to make her acquaintance. She seems like such a…formidable girl."

Draco thought that an odd thing to say, considering Hermione was currently very pale, thin, and unconscious.

"The media of late has made her a crusader. Even that Skeeter woman has been singing her praises."

"I wouldn't say that. This morning she called her an ugly, common, bald meddler."

"But it was said with such _fondness_."

"Bullshit. What do you want?"

Draco gave her credit. Her cheek-splitting smile didn't even waver.

"Just to meet the young lady! She is such an inspiration. She saw what she wanted and she went for it!"

"She wrote an ad for the Prophet that pointed out an inequality. That's all she did."

"She spearheaded a movement! Anyway, I wasn't talking about _inequality_."

"Are you suggesting that she tricked me into this engagement?"

The smile slipped minutely. "You aren't her _intended_, are you?"

"Don't pretend you don't know who I am. My family is the most photographed in Britain."

"If you're her fiancé, then why are you sitting all the way over there? Not very _loving_ of you, is it? Or _is_ it? Is that young man someone special? Are you _settling_ for a marriage to an…unfortunately-lineaged girl to hide your proclivities?"

Draco was getting the oddest feeling. She suddenly seemed familiar. He prodded his brain for a connection…and realized this woman was much closer to Rita Skeeter than she had let on. She had been with the reporter in the Great Hall when Luna had put the lion headdress on Hermione.

_What was she playing at? _She had witnessed his and Hermione's first sweet kiss, and she was insinuating that he was gay? What…wait.

Draco leaned forward and grabbed Greg's hand. He squeezed it tightly and silently apologized for what he was about to do.

"Oh, he _is_ special." He leaned forward and kissed the back of Greg's hand.

The woman was looking at them with wonder, as though she'd never seen anything like it. She was so distracted that she didn't see Draco grab his wand and stun her.

Draco let go of Greg's hand, but didn't move. Greg's hand was still locked on his, and his grip was suddenly _punishing_.

He yelled for Blaise and Pomfrey in a combination of excitement and fear.

"Awww. You miss Greg a lot, don't you? You needed that little gesture. That little touch."

"Fuck you. There's an unconscious woman over by Hermione's bed. Bind her and get Dumbledore. And Greg's got my hand in a death grip!"

"That can't be," Pomfrey insisted. "He's insensate."

"My fingers are going numb!" Draco protested.

"Oh, when it happens to me it's a joke and when it happens to you it's an emergency?" Blaise muttered.

"Just do it."

Everyone held their breath when Greg's eyes snapped open, focused on Draco, and he yelled, "Blood traitor!"

A/N:

The. Flu. Sucks. Also, the website wouldn't let me post for almost 2 weeks!

Sorry about the wait. I'll be back on schedule as soon as I catch up at work!

Thank you to everyone who reads my chapters and thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave me a note: hoshiakari7, KodeV, dracosgirl007, ASJS, Chester99, Hedwig246, and Rachelleislost96.


	11. Chapter 11

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 11

Hermione woke to searing pain, and her mother holding her tightly.

"It's okay, baby, we just need to do one quick test and you can take a pain reliever. They'll take the pain away again, just hold on."

Madam Pomfrey put a dab of one potion on her arm, then put a dab of another potion directly on the same spot. She waved her wand over it, then cleaned the spot thoroughly before thrusting a pain relief potion into her mother's hand.

"Help her drink it. I can't recast the charm until the potion has taken effect."

Hermione did her best to drink, but all she could do was scream. Her mother was crying and slowly pouring a sip's worth of potion into her mouth and trying to make her swallow it by gently cupping her chin and tilting her head back.

Suddenly her head was grasped at the nape of her neck and the bottle thrust between her teeth. She startled, then started to choke. She felt cool fingers do _something_ to her throat and then it was over.

Pain gone. Euphoric haze descended.

Hermione looked up and beamed a smile at Professor Snape.

He looked at her with disgust and turned back to the next bed, where Draco was lying watching _her_ with a worried look.

Hermione then beamed at him. He tentatively smiled back, then looked away to pay attention to what Professor Snape was saying to him.

Hermione's mother let go of her and slowly removed herself from the small bed.

"Goodness, that was scary," she muttered.

"Sorry, Mum. Didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no. I was warned. I just didn't think I'd react so strongly. Quite felt like my heart was breaking. But you'll be better soon, yes?"

"As soon as I get married!"

"That's what I hear. Professor McGonagall tried to explain all this to me, but the bottom line is that you're being forced into getting married! And you're fine with this?"

"Well, no, but since we have to get married eventually anyway this'll be easier."

"Oh, Hermione. I wanted so much _more_ for you. And I thought you wanted more for _yourself_."

"I'm still going to do everything I want to. I'm going to be a curse breaker. I'm going to invent potions. I'm going to fight injustices! I'm going to figure out how to make my hair behave and why women love arseholes!"

"Don't call Draco an arsehole. He's sensitive," Blaise yelled from across the room, where he was watching over Greg.

Hermione was momentarily pleased to see that Greg was awake, but quickly became confused when she saw that he was restrained and silenced. He was red-faced and screaming at Blaise, who calmly patted his hand.

"What I'm trying to say, Mum, is that I'm going to live my life. Draco isn't going to try to stop me from reaching my goals. Instead of going it alone, Draco and I will be a team!"

"Don't be silly," the dreaded cold voice of Hermione's future mother-in-law interjected. "You will support Draco. You will do your best to pretend to be something you are not…worthy of the name Malfoy."

"Mother!" Draco shouted. "Stop tormenting Hermione! She is not going to be your dress-up doll. She is not going to be a puppy that follows me around. She is going to be a curse breaker!"

"With my grandchildren in tow? I think not."

"We won't be having children for _years_, Mother."

"At this rate, possibly never," Hermione heard herself say. Had she really been thinking that? It had just _popped out_!

"Do you hear that, Draco? Your fiancée has practically declared that you will not have relations. Set her straight or I will!"

"That's not what I said!" Hermione emphatically denied. "If he weren't such a prude I'd have screwed him silly already!"

"Hermione!" Her mother was appalled.

Narcissa Malfoy slid past Professor Snape to address her son and Hermione at the same time without the possibility of being overheard.

"We shall not start rumors," she cautioned quietly, yet menacingly. "Of course you will have children. If you persist in being contrary I will have the Wizengamot step in yet again. Not producing an heir within the first few years of marriage would reflect poorly on the Malfoy name."

"You worry too much about what other people think! Go with the flow, Narcy!"

Hermione, if she hadn't been in a strange floaty headspace, would have been horrified at herself, and fearful from the look Mrs. Malfoy shot her.

Instead, she latched onto the horrid nickname with uncharacteristic zeal.

"Oh, Narcy! When I have Draco's babies you won't be around! I'll be on an adventure, or I'll be on a vacation! Or I'll be at my parents' house! I'll be far, far away from your evil clutches! Geranium and Camelopardalis will be safe with me! None of the evilness of you or your husband will taint _my_ children. They will be carefree, happy, and _Grangers_!"

"Geranium and Camelopardalis? Really? That's what you want to name our children?" Draco was smiling widely at Hermione, and Hermione wondered if she wasn't the _only_ one on a pain potion.

"It has to be a flower and a constellation, right? They're the first to come to mind."

"_Camelopardalis_ came to mind?"

"When I was little…"

"Stop this nonsense!" Mrs. Malfoy hissed. "As Draco well knows, the next family names are Scorpius and Hyacinth. There is no _choice_."

"You're so _strict_, Narcy! You are _so_ not going to be the favorite granny!"

Mrs. Malfoy turned to Professor Snape and said, "Since the bonding is postponed, I shall return to the Manor. Why _I_ have to be here for this I don't know! I am planning a society wedding in _eight months_. Do none of you take _my_ schedule into account?"

"We no longer need a wedding!" Hermione protested. "We're getting married today, aren't we?"

"Greg broke a bunch of bones in my hand," Draco held up his hand for Hermione to see. "We have to wait until the Skele-gro does its thing and then we both have to get the potions out of our systems. Tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"Fine, but wedding planning can stop!"

Mrs. Malfoy gave Draco a suffering look. "This little ceremony tomorrow will not affect the wedding."

"But—"

"It has not escaped my attention that you are wearing the Malfoy crest," she addressed Hermione without looking at her. "Magically, you are already bonded to our family. You are already _married_. Is it a _legal_ bond? No. Hence the need for the Ministry to bond you. It also negates the bond with your chaperone, which you somehow managed to botch. The _wedding_ is for appearances. We will _appear_ excited. Society will just have to deal with you then. You will not believe me, but since I am stuck with you I hope you show well."

"She's not a dog in a competition!" her mother scolded Draco's mother.

"Of course not," she shot back with the hint of a smile. "Those dogs have _breeding_."

Hermione grabbed a hold of her mother before she could launch herself that the awful woman.

"Mother! Stop! You're behavior is embarrassing me!" Draco interrupted.

Mrs. Malfoy turned to her son and _almost_ looked contrite. She firmed back up quickly and turned again to Professor Snape.

"Tomorrow. _Do_ try to keep things proper. And give the girl a sobering potion! She's a loon!"

A lot of the tension in the room left with her.

"What a _bitch_," Catherine stated emphatically.

"Agreed," three voices chorused immediately after.

Hermione missed the devastated look on Draco's face as he watched his mother depart.

"So! Catch me up. Looks like Greg woke up…and got a makeover! Which I'm guessing he isn't fond of, based on his reaction over there."

Blaise smiled at her wearily. "Unconfirmed, but Snape believes Voldemort's soul attached itself to Greg when his body died. Neither of them are coping well. Gruesome stuff."

"Hermione, do you recognize the woman on the bed in the corner?" her mother redirected.

She craned her neck to get a better look, then gasped. "That bitch! How did Tilda get here?"

"I think when she found out she wasn't being bonded to you she tried to poison you anyway. I hexed her," Draco announced proudly.

"Well, now what?" Hermione asked the room.

Silence reigned for a bit too long.

Not because there was nothing to say but because there was _so much_.

"Hermione," Draco whispered sleepily, capturing her full attention. Professor Snape was putting away a vial that must have been a sleeping draught.

"Yeah?"

"My mother _is_ a bitch."

"Yeah," she agreed apologetically.

"Hey?" he sleepily called.

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

Hermione's heart stopped. "Yeah," she breathed out as she watched his eyes close as he fell into a deep sleep.

A/N:

Should be on a regular schedule now! Life is back to normal…at least until the holidays actually hit.

Thank you for being patient and for reading so diligently!


	12. Chapter 12

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 12

"Hermione?"

When Draco awoke, he looked immediately to his left to check on his fiancée. Her bed was neatly made. He looked over to where the homicidal chaperone was being held, and her bed was also neatly made.

"Blaise?"

No sign of his friend.

"Madam Pomfrey? Anyone?"

He hopped out of bed and made his way to the little office, where the old medi-witch was gently snoring, a mug of tea steaming at her elbow and a book in her hands.

_We _have_ been keeping her busy._

Draco left the wing feeling disoriented. He had no idea what time it was, or where Hermione had gone, or if he was supposed to be somewhere.

He took the opportunity to go the Prefects' Bath and take a long, hot soak.

He was getting _married_ today! Well, he already considered himself married. Hermione was already wearing his ring. She was naming their children. She was fighting with his mother.

She was _family_.

Draco sat and soaked and thought. His mother had made it clear that he was still expected to take over the Malfoy interests. But he'd tasted _freedom_! He had to find a way to tell her that he was going his own way.

At the first opportunity, he was going to owl Mr. Ollivander and see if he could apprentice at his shop. His name wasn't _completely_ in ruins, and his marriage to Hermione could only help matters. The old wizard should jump at the chance to take him on.

And he wouldn't have to be paid! He had squirreled away enough money for he and Hermione to live on for _years_ when they had visited the vault last week. Ollivander couldn't pass up that deal, right?

Maybe he should talk to Hermione about her apprenticeship, as well. Get the ball rolling so she had a better chance of being in Diagon Alley as well. With apparation it didn't really matter, but it was a comfort thing. He wanted to know where his wife was.

He kind of wanted to know where she was _right now_.

When he'd gone to sleep she'd been with her mother. Was he correct in assuming she was still with her, preparing for the wedding? Where would she be? Gryffindor Tower?

Still high on pain potions?

Draco dried off and redressed quickly. He now had some goals and vague ideas about how to reach them.

He almost decided to go to Slytherin first, but was glad he didn't when his route to Gryffindor Tower took him past the Great Hall.

His mother was there, slinging her magic into every corner.

"What are you doing, Mother?"

"Decorating. If I have to attend this ceremony it is going to at least be _pretty_."

"_Mother_," Draco implored.

She stopped and turned to face him with an annoyed look on her face.

"You're wearing _that_?"

The longer she looked at Draco, the softer her face became. Not to say that she _softened_, but she was no longer so rigid she could snap.

"All your life I've had elaborate fantasies of your wedding day. It was going to be a triumph of fantasy and taste. You were going to marry the heiress to an Italian or French aristocrat's fortune. She was going to be…." She stopped and stepped closer to Draco. "I just can't help feeling your Hermione is lacking. Even though she _is_ a pretty little girl..."

"She's _beautiful_," Draco couldn't help interrupting.

His mother gave him an impatient look. "But she's _plain_. You say she's intelligent, but how does she apply this intelligence? She uses it to pick fights and belittle our traditions."

"She loves learning about Wizarding culture!" Draco protested.

"But does she _live_ it? Does she incorporate any of our traditions into her little world?"

"Some. And she'll adopt more the longer she lives here. As far as picking fights goes? From what I've seen, _you_ seem to be the one picking the fights. _Courtship Mandates_, Mother? Why not just drag the rest of society through hell with us!"

"While I'll admit my first motive was to keep a buffer between you and your fiancée, I also believe that the Mandates have merit. In case you haven't noticed, marriage is _permanent_. Too many couples are forced into engagements because of bad behavior."

"You mean too many pureblood witches and wizards are getting engaged to half-bloods and muggleborns."

"You're being too simplistic. The Mandates aren't punishment, they're protection. For _everyone_. That reminds me! Blaise was bonded to his chaperone an hour or so ago. He gave me a look that was meant to incinerate my head. Please let him know I said that look needs work."

"Mother," Draco gestured to a table covered in gold taffeta, "please sit down so we can have a conversation instead of just accusing each other of being contrary."

She stiffly sat on the edge of her seat. "Fine. What is it you'd like to discuss?"

Draco studied his mother. In the last few years he'd seen her sparingly, and she suddenly seemed older. More frail, even though she was not yet forty.

He was struck with the urge to hug her. He knew she'd be shocked and probably appalled at his lack of control and show of emotion, but the urge was there nonetheless.

"If you had to pick one non-negotiable thing about my future, what would it be?"

"Your wedding must to be proper, even if your witch isn't."

"That was unnecessarily mean and snarky."

"Maybe it was, but I am finding it impossible to come to terms with the reality that is Miss Granger."

"You don't know her."

"And you do?"

"Better and better each day. Did you know that the chaperone that was sent for Hermione is an assassin?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I picked her out myself."

Draco felt like an ice pick had been driven down his spine. "_You_ picked Hermione's chaperone? Tilda the homicidal bitch?"

"Who's Tilda? I picked a strict matron named Petunia. She was almost 130 years old and had the aura of prison guard. I quite liked her. I should invite her to the wedding."

"Mother, have you seen or talked to Father since he was arrested?"

"We speak or owl every day. We are _devoted_."

"Could he have set Tilda on Hermione?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. But how could he orchestrate such a thing from captivity? He'd have to have someone else do his bidding. As far as I know, no one else has been in contact with him. Really, I don't believe it was your father."

"Would you tell me if it were?"

She took a moment to mull before she spoke. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. A few weeks ago I would tell you. You were trustworthy."

"You don't trust me anymore?"

"I think you are unduly influenced."

"Hermione is very opinionated. And idealistic. And naïve. She _is_ influencing me. I think it's important that we influence each other. If we're going to be married for the next 100 years or so there has to be compromise."

"Is _she_ doing any compromising?"

"She's marrying me today. She is going to have children _much_ earlier than she'd like. She isn't going to live in Muggle London."

"The Manor will be ready for her arrival the week before the wedding."

"Oh. Ummm. Huh. Well, thank you for being accommodating. However, we are going to live in the London townhouse."

"Was that _her_ idea?"

"It was a compromise. She wanted to be close enough to visit her parents without apparating and I wanted to live in the Wizarding world. That townhouse sits empty unless you're shopping in London. Even then, you usually just apparate to the Manor."

"Well, I suppose that's…_fair_. It's not like I'll never see you. Your study at the Manor is being redecorated as a marriage gift. Surprise. You'll be able to look after our interests from there."

Draco blushed.

"What did I say? Why are you flushing?"

"I'm not going into the family business, either. It's not what I want to do with my life."

"There is no one else to do it, Draco. I hate to say it, but I believe your father will be in Azkaban for some time. I am counting on you to do the right thing."

"The right thing? You know our business dealings are infested with corruption, deals, and Death Eaters. I have to sever all ties with those things if my marriage is going to work!"

"You can do both!"

"How?"

"I don't know!"

"I'm going…" Draco lost his momentum, but forced himself to tell her. "I'm going to be a wandmaker. I'm going to collect my materials, craft wands, and match them with new owners. It _fascinates_ me. It's what I want to be."

His mother's expression was too expressionless. She got up and went back to her decorating.

"Mother?"

She ignored him.

"I'm sorry. But I think I have a solution," he offered.

"What? _Pay_ someone to make sure the family doesn't go broke?"

"I think _you_ should do it."

Draco's mother dropped her wand mid-spell and accidentally turned Draco's robes into gold taffeta. She recovered quickly and returned to her work.

"That would be inappropriate."

"How so?"

"I am a Malfoy wife. I have my responsibilities."

"These could be your new responsibilities. You _know_ you'd succeed."

"Of course I would. That is not in question."

"Then why won't you take control of the Malfoy interests? You may be fighting it, but there are now _two_ Mrs. Malfoys. Hermione certainly isn't going to be a society wife. Why can't you take the initiative and the _power_ that comes with being the one in charge? You'd thrive. And so would the Malfoy name."

Draco could see her giving it serious thought. When the clock chimed she startled, then started pelting spells faster around the room.

"We only have an hour!"

"The ceremony is in an hour? What can I do to help?"

"Are you prepared?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you wearing _that_?"

Draco looked down at the gold taffeta she'd spelled his robes into.

He could feel himself blushing again. "No. I'll change."

"See that you do," she called after him. In a much smaller voice she added, "Just not too much."

A/N:

julietrose21, KodeV, ASJS, hoshiakari7, and Chester99, thank you so much for reviewing!


	13. Chapter 13

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 13

Draco watched worriedly as Hermione walked into the Great Hall. She was being supported by her parents, Harry, Ginny, and _Ron_. He smirked a bit when he saw that Weasley had a puppy following him around. A big, blond, handsome man was keeping close watch on the boy, as though he was worried Ron was going to make a run for it any second. Was Weasley in _trouble_?

Hermione was clearly under a charm, but she was also clearly off the pain potion. Draco winced when she reached him and he could see the angry flush to her skin and the tracks of tears down her cheeks.

"Hey. You okay to do this?" he asked, reaching out to gently touch her hair.

"The sooner the better!" she answered emphatically.

"Hey, Snape wants to talk to you for a minute," Blaise interrupted. "Hermione. Looking…surprisingly lovely for the circumstances."

Draco appreciated his friend saying something nice and kind of untrue at that moment. He had the urge himself to try to reassure her, but he knew she'd think he was lying to make her feel better. With Blaise saying it maybe she'd believe it.

"Thanks, Blaise. You and your male companion look quite festive."

Draco hadn't been paying attention, but Blaise and his chaperone were indeed wearing identical red robes.

Blaise leaned in so his keeper couldn't hear and said, "No matter what he wears, I make sure I'm wearing exactly the same thing. If he changes _anything_, I match him. If he eats something, I eat it. If he says something I either repeat it as though he didn't say it first or I immediately agree. I haven't decided which is more annoying yet. I'll let you know!"

"Leave it to you to find something fun to do with your chaperone," Hermione replied weakly.

"Mate," Blaise reminded him, "Snape."

Draco smiled at Hermione and her entourage, then quickly turned to his Head of House.

Snape pulled him farther away and put up a Muffliato.

"The Daily Prophet will be here soon. Dumbledore couldn't stop it. Something about suing for damages? The wench was in and out of the infirmary in less than a day! Regardless, your mother has taken control of the situation, so Rita Skeeter will _not_ be covering your union. Narcissa hopes to keep it a secret until the 'wedding' happens. However, to pacify the Prophet, she has promised an exclusive interview about the wedding planning with the both of you for immediately after the ceremony."

Snape looked back to the group waiting for the ceremony to start and shook his head.

"I will probably never tell you anything like this again in your life, so listen well. Your witch is headstrong. You won't be able to control her."

Draco snorted. "Control her? Why take the fun out of it?"

Snape almost smiled. "That is exactly my point. I am _almost_ jealous. She is a quality witch, Draco. Your life will be infinitely better than what you were supposedly destined for. Please, _please_, stay out of any dealings with the Death Eaters. They are re-forming, and without a firm hand in charge I fear they will target your new wife. One saving grace is that only two Death Eaters know of your involvement in what happened to Voldemort, and I am going to do everything I can to keep it that way."

"Two?"

"Myself and Mr. Goyle."

"I keep forgetting…is he really inhabited by Voldemort's soul?"

"Only a portion of it. It has been fractured to give the illusion of immortality. We will meet and discuss our options soon, but not today."

Draco tried to put thoughts of Death Eaters, Voldemort, and Rita Skeeter out of his mind. He was marrying Hermione today!

He looked to his witch and was worried anew. She was sitting there surrounded by people, yet fading fast.

He took one step toward her, but was once again pulled back by Snape.

"I want to give you an early wedding present. You notice that Weasley has a chaperone? Well, he came to the bonding ceremony for the chaperones fully expecting to find Miss Granger there waiting for him."

Draco felt a moment of panic, remembering the disgusting kiss Weasley had forced on Hermione. His odd behavior had been forgotten in the worry for Hermione and Greg, the debate with his mother, and the elation of soon being bonded to Hermione.

"He got a summons?"

"Oh, yes. Some surprising people did."

"How? That kiss wasn't enough to break our engagement!"

"Don't be silly. She wears your ring. I should rightfully be calling her Madam Malfoy. _Kissing_ would change nothing. Here is your present: Weasley doesn't want anyone to know, but he had relations with Romilda Vane while she was Polyjuiced to look like your fiancée."

"That fucker!" Draco's anger was overwhelming and he started toward Weasley, but Snape's strong grip on his arm held him back.

"You're becoming more and more like your little Gryffindor every day. Do not disappoint me. Do not act rashly. Think over your situation. Realize your advantage and use it. Do not waste it on temper."

_Oh, the possibilities_, thought Draco with a smirk.

He heartily thanked his Head of House with a handshake and an understanding nod.

"Dumbledore is escorting the ministry representative. They should be arriving at any moment. Your mother is planning to make an entrance, you know her penchant for drama, but she _is_ in the castle."

_Penchant for drama. That's a diplomatic way to say it._

"Best of luck, Draco. Truly. Make the most of your life."

Draco looked at Snape with gratitude and confusion. Snape read him quite correctly.

"We will talk soon. Go support your wife."

Draco smiled and hurried away.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione had closed her eyes, just for a moment. Really, she wasn't sleepy. She was in _pain_ and she was trying to keep that to herself.

She felt Draco's presence beside her. It was both comforting and exciting.

His "love you" last night had been playing on a loop in her head. Her mother had been giddy.

"Do you think he means it?"

"Draco doesn't say anything he doesn't mean," Blaise had offered from his post next to Greg.

"A month ago he called me an ugly Mudblood," Hermione reminded him.

"And he meant it," Blaise retorted seriously.

"Then how can he love me now?" Hermione asked.

"This week has changed him. He's never made decisions for himself. He didn't know how freedom felt. He was _okay_ with that because he didn't know any better. He was going to be the Slytherin Prince and marry a Pureblooded witch and worship Voldemort like a god. He was going to grow old in that grim mansion with his parents hovering over him like spectres waiting to suck his blood."

"Spectres don't suck peoples' blood!"

"Yes, Miss Know-It-All. I was just making a point. _You_ mean _freedom_. And he's trying to change for you. He's been nicer. And he thinks he has to be _funny_, which I think is hilarious because he's only funny when he's being mean. I'm thinking you won't appreciate bully humor. Am I right?"

"You know you are."

"So Draco's trying to be more like _me_, because he thinks you'll like him more if he's less serious. You can barely stand me, so I don't know where his head is."

"That's great and all, but that doesn't explain how he can go from hate to love so quickly."

"Maybe he never really hated you, darling. Maybe he had a little crush, but couldn't bring himself to approach you," her mother soothed.

Blaise laughed. "Nope. He _hated_ her. Hated everything about her. Wouldn't have minded if she'd died a gruesome, lingering death."

Hermione's mother grabbed her hand in a painful grip and gave her a look of fear and concern.

Blaise continued as though he hadn't freaked anyone out.

"But now he's seen your boobs. Thinks you're pretty. Loves that you're brave now that you're on _his_ side. Sees that you'll love him no matter how much he fucks up. He's never been loved unconditionally. We all know _you_ love everyone unconditionally, or you'd have dissolved your 'friendship' with Weasley years ago. Draco wants that future with you. Plus, he thinks you're neat."

"Neat? Like a toy?"

"A bit. For now. But he loves you. He said so. You can believe that. This future he sees with you? In it you are completely happy. Deliriously."

Hermione was snapped back to the present by loud swearing.

"Fuck! How did this happen?"

Her eyes flew open and Draco pulled her into his arms.

"What's happening?"

Harry jumped in, "The ministry representative is here with Dumbledore, and the Malfoys have arrived."

"The Malfoys? _Plural_?"

Hermione pushed herself around Draco to watch Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy approach Professor Dumbledore as though nothing was odd.

"Does he have a wand?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Does he need a wand?" asked Harry.

"He can't be here to _celebrate_."

"Everyone?" Professor Dumbledore called over the shocked din. "We are about to start. Please gather around. Draco, would you lead Hermione directly in front? And stand behind her, hugging her tightly about the shoulders with your left arm."

Hermione let herself be placed. Her parents were to the left and Draco's parent were to the right. She tried to ignore them.

"I am about to lift the charm on Hermione. For those that don't know, she is suffering from the attempted severing of a bond. When I lift the charm she will be in excruciating pain. She is as prepared as she could be. We will start with her part, so this will not be orthodox. Please be silent so she will be able to hear and respond. After the first response the old bond should be broken and the pain should vanish." 

Hermione felt Draco's grip tighten as he kissed the top of her head. Hermione lifted her left hand in response and gripped his wrist.

She vaguely heard "Is that my fucking ring?" come from her right, but didn't waste the energy on it.

Dumbledore lifted the spell and she held in her scream for a full five seconds.

She was quite proud.

"Hermione Jean Granger, your magic shall be bound with Draco Lucius Malfoy's magic. It is a permanent, loving bond no force short of death can dissolve. Do you submit to this bonding?"

Hermione tried to force out the one simple word that would both stop the pain and make her happy, but couldn't stop screaming long enough to form it. Her mind raced through the haze of pain and she realized she'd have to turn her scream into the affirmation she needed it to be.

"Aaaaagh! Yyyeeeesss! Aaaagh. Uhhhh. Oh. That's much better, thank you. Ummm, yes. I submit."

"Probably the only time she'll ever say _that_."

"Shut up, Blaise."

Dumbledore smiled and Draco's grip slackened.

"Is she done screaming? I was quite enjoying that."

Hermione slid left…as far from Lucius Malfoy as she could get.

"Ahem," Dumbledore interrupted. "Shall we continue?"

"Must we?"

"Lucius," Draco's mother hissed. "Behave!"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, your magic is being bound with that of Hermione Jean Granger. It is a permanent, loving bond no force short of death can dissolve. Do you submit to this bonding?"

"Yes, I submit."

"Not as enthusiastic as Hermione's acceptance, but it will suffice," he joked. "Join hands."

Hermione watched in fascination as Professor Dumbledore wove intricate knots of magic around and _through_ their hands. She felt only contentment and love.

"And this concludes the bonding of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger. Live in peace and love."

"What, no kiss?" Hermione heard her father ask.

"Save it for the wedding," replied Mrs. Malfoy coldly. She turned and dragged her husband away and out the door.

"That's it? No nastiness?" asked Hermione's mother. "Great! Now we can have that kiss!"

Draco and Hermione obliged.

A/N:

Next up is craziness!

Thank you for reading! And thank ASJS, KodeV, hoshiakari7, Chester99, giada, amsev, and KincaidBabe for reviewing. I do so love to hear from you!


	14. Chapter 14

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 14

"Does anyone else feel that?"

The note of panic in Hermione's mother's voice broke Hermione of her kiss-haze. She pulled from Draco's grasp because she _did_ feel something.

Was the room _vibrating_?

"Oh, shit!" yelled Draco when a Patronus shaped as a mink slinked its way to him and spoke in his mother's imperious voice.

"Hopefully, someday, you will forgive us. If you survive."

It disintegrated and Draco almost dislocated Hermione's shoulder pulling her behind him. A ball of light flew from the wall to her right and another appeared to her left.

_What spell was this?_

Two balls of light came from the ceiling as Draco was pulling her around, dodging the first lights.

Hermione's parents and friends and Blaise and his chaperone stood helplessly and tried different defensive spells. When they realized the balls were only targeting Hermione and Draco, Harry ran for the door only to find it sealed.

What _was_ this? An assassination spell of some sort? Targeting her? Or Draco?

"It's _him_," Draco yelled. "That's why he's _here_. That's why he didn't try to stop the bonding ceremony!"

"Your father? What is this, Draco?"

"Can we discuss this later? The spell will dissipate if we dodge it long enough."

Hermione didn't get a chance to reply, because Draco was caught in the thigh by a ball of light and skidded to a stop. He crumpled to the floor with a roar of rage.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco could barely think through the swear words flying through his head. He hadn't planned for his father to be in attendance, so he hadn't thought through the dangerous possibilities.

He'd been too calm. Too accepting. And_ here_.

As the head of the Malfoy family he had the right to attend Draco's bonding regardless of charges brought against him. As long as he wasn't convicted and imprisoned in Azkaban, his father legally couldn't be kept away.

His mother _had_ to have known what he was planning. Or had she? His father would never have let her send a Patronus to warn them, fat lot of good that did them anyway.

He knew how this went. He'd seen firsthand how this spell worked.

Sealed room. Spell caster at the door the victim last entered willing his magic into the four walls, the floor, and the ceiling.

The most devious part of this spell was that it was not _illegal_. It was a variation on a Healer's spell that stops the heart. It was _supposed_ to temporarily keep a person from bleeding out. The Healer fixes the damage and the spell is lifted, then business as usual. Thirty seconds at the most.

No one, to Draco's knowledge, had ever died from the spell while in a Healer's care, since you kept breathing all through it. Eventually, if the spell was used too long, you lost consciousness, but a simple Enervate fixed that once the damage was repaired and the spell lifted.

What the Death Eaters had figured out was that the spell was easily adaptable. It could be used as torture. Or punishment. It was also an effective way to kill someone.

If your heart didn't start beating again after just a couple minutes, your lungs would stop and you _would_ die.

"Who was watching him? He's _Lucius Malfoy_, for goodness sake! Didn't he have an escort?" fumed Hermione. When she realized the lights had disappeared, she wheeled around frantically. "Where did they go? Did anyone see where they went?"

"They vanished," Harry answered.

"Maybe someone realized what he was doing and made him stop."

"No, Hermione. They stopped because they did their job," Harry explained as he approached her. He pointed to Draco and Hermione dropped to his side.

Draco didn't think a Finite Incantatem was going to cut it. He didn't know the counter-spell, or its official name.

"Get Pomfrey. Heart-stopping spell. It's a Healer's spell. She should know how to undo it. Get to her."

Harry ran for the door but it was still sealed. He started blasting it with spells, but they weren't budging.

Blaise and Ron and their chaperones joined him and they all kept trying to find a way out.

Ginny was running the perimeter, trying to find a window or door that wasn't blocked, without success.

"Where is Dumbledore when you need him?" Hermione screamed.

Her parents stood helplessly next to her. Catherine had tears in her eyes, but Timothy had a calculating look on his face.

"Draco, do you know what's happening?" Timothy asked.

"My heart has stopped. I'll breathe for a few minutes, then lose consciousness. A few minutes after that I'll die. If Pomfrey gets here and performs the counter-spell before that happens an Enervate will wake me back up. It's a shitty way to die!"

He looked at Hermione, and she had turned white again. Catherine had knelt next to him and grabbed his wrist.

"No pulse. Timothy, pay close attention to his breathing. When it stops, be ready."

"Should you start compressions now?" Hermione asked. "If his heart isn't beating…"

"Not while he's still breathing and conscious."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked in a panic.

"They're doctors, Draco," Hermione soothed. "They'll try to keep you alive until Madam Pomfrey arrives. I'll explain it to you later. They'll keep you breathing when your body stops, and try to pump your heart for you."

"Is it like a duplication spell? I match their breathing and heartbeats?"

"No," Hermione let out a humorless laugh. "They're going to push on your heart to help it pump, and force air into your lungs through your mouth."

It sounded better than dying, but it still sounded awful.

"Let's get to it, then," he bravely stated.

"They can't start until you stop breathing."

"Why the fuck not?" It was getting harder to breathe and Draco swallowed back tears.

"Because while pushing on your heart they will be pushing on your lungs. You're still breathing and you're talking. When things take a turn for the worse, they're ready."

Hermione grabbed his hand again and squeezed tightly.

"How much time do you think we have?"

"Couple minutes, maybe. My vision's getting funky."

"We'll get you through this."

"If I don't survive, take all the Malfoy money and give it to the house elves. My parents will hate that."

Hermione laughed sadly. "Absolutely. And I'll still insist on being called Madam Malfoy, and I'll try to shove it in your mother's face whenever I can."

Draco smiled. "Fuck with them as much as you can. But stay safe. They're sneaky old Slytherins, and don't forget it. My father may never stop trying to kill you."

"In truth, if you died I'd probably never speak to either of them again."

"You have to. You have money and power now, whether I'm alive or not. Do what you want with it, but do _something_ with it. Do _Hermione Granger_ things with it."

"Stop talking about it. You're going to be fine."

"I'm…" Draco faltered as his vision darkened and he got more light-headed. "I'll try to come back and haunt you. I've always wanted to know how that worked. And get one of my portraits from the manor; give it to the twins. I want in on that action. Plus, I'd rather be in your hands than have to listen to my family's tirade for the next millennium."

"You are _not_ going to die!" Hermione yelled in his face.

He could hear her trying not to cry, but could no longer see her.

"Hermione, you changed me. You could change a lot of people. Do that, love."

He was losing consciousness and there was nothing she could do.

"Draco? Hey, stay with me here." Hermione's hand moved from his hand to his face. "Is he dead? Mum? Is he still breathing? I can't see his chest moving any more!"

XXXXXXXX

_No no no no no no!_

Hermione watched Draco's face, which was amazingly pale on a regular day, turn a pasty white.

She vaguely saw her father straddle Draco to start compressions while her mother knelt at Draco's head opposite Hermione. She positioned Draco's head and counted with her husband to get in rhythm with each other.

"Hermione, grab his wrist. Monitor his pulse."

Hermione grabbed his hand in desperation and watched her parents work.

"We're through!" Ron yelled.

"I'm sending a Patronus to Madam Pomfrey," Harry announced.

"I'm going for Dumbledore!" yelled Ginny.

"Snape," Blaise said as he pulled his chaperone down the hall.

"Should we get Kingsley Shacklebolt? He'll want to know about this!" Harry asked from above Hermione's shoulder.

"Get him on the Malfoys' trail. Send Ron. Please, stay with me, Harry."

"Of course." She heard Harry giving Ron orders, but couldn't look away from Draco and her parents. They were working smoothly, but Hermione couldn't feel a regular pulse.

She knew the moment he died. If the ring hadn't suddenly become too big and slipped down her finger, she might have mistaken the sensation for her heart breaking.

It flew through her chest and a part of _her_ went with it. A piece of her magic. The feeling she'd had with her since the engagement. Her bond with him. It was gone.

"Get him back!" she ordered her parents in desperation as she finally let the tears fall.

"Hermione," Harry called. "Madam Pomfrey is coming down the hall."

She jumped up and started relaying all the information she had. The medi-witch listened while she started her diagnostic spell.

Hermione watched as patiently as she could while Madam Pomfrey tried likely counter-spells. On the seventh try, white light seemed to seep from Draco into the floor, and it raced around the walls and ceiling.

"That was it," she said in relief. She started to smile when she saw the look on Madam Pomfrey's face.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy has been under the spell too long. I tried to wake him, but nothing happened. He's been gone too long, Hermione," she added sadly.

"What spell is it?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to fix this! What spell is it? And what is the counter-spell? Tell me!"

"Corcaesura."

"Where were you an hour ago?"

"What?"

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione yelled impatiently. "Where were you an hour ago? Hurry!"

"Well, I was in the infirmary, of course."

"You didn't step out? At all?"

"No, why?"

Hermione pulled the time turner out of her robes and started dialing it back. "Because I'm going to fix this. I'll see you in a minute."

Hermione bound out of the Great Hall with Harry on her heels.

"Where are you going?"

"Hospital Wing!"

"I'm coming with you!"

Hermione squeezed her fist tightly to hold her Malfoy ring in place. First chance she got she was going fix that, too.

She rounded the last corner and threw herself into the bed-filled room. She grabbed Harry and hugged him as she looped the necklace over his head.

"We're going to save him." Harry stated.

"Yes. We are."

"What's the plan?"

"Get Madam Pomfrey to secretly attend my wedding, then perform the counter-spell as soon as it hits Draco."

"Hermione!"

"What? What is it?"

"That doesn't stop the problem of Lucius Malfoy."

"And possibly Narcy."

"Who?"

"Never mind! We're wasting time!"

"We're about to gain it back again!"

Harry grabbed her shoulders to steady her and make her look at him.

"Look at me. Breathe. Recalculate before you spin that necklace. You're shaking."

"I am?"

"You are."

"Well shit."

"Indeed."

Hermione looked at her best friend and took a few deep breaths.

"He's _dead_."

"It won't stick."

Hermione smiled.

She thought through the amount of time she'd need to make sure Draco lived and Lucius Malfoy ended up in Azkaban.

"Thanks, Harry. I almost sent us back too soon. We'll need a little more time to make sure."

"Of what?"

"That I get to live happily ever after!"

"Hermione, I thought you were over that!"

"Over what?"

"Your Cinderella complex!"

"Harry!"

Harry continued in a falsetto, "My life is shit. Everyone treats me horribly. When will someone come and take me away from all of this?"

"Shut up, Harry."

She spun the necklace.

A/N:

You know what the enemy of fanfiction is? The holidays. I always forget how exhausted I am after everything. I've had this done for almost a week but didn't have five minutes to proofread and post!

Thanks to everyone still reading this, and I'll probably manage at least one more chapter before Christmas. The next couple planned are mostly adventure. I've started the next one and it's fun!


	15. Chapter 15

Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 15

Hermione ripped the necklace over Harry's head and sprinted into Madam Pomfrey's office where the woman _wasn't_ sitting placidly monitoring her patients.

"Shit!" she yelled.

"Did you just _swear_?" Harry questioned from the other room with a little laugh.

Hermione ran to the closet and checked. She felt dumb doing it, but she couldn't take the chance that Madam Pomfrey was in there for some reason. She checked the medi-witch's bathroom as well, with no luck.

"Shit!" she yelled again as she slammed the door.

She was a little surprised Harry didn't call her out on it, but found out why when she exited the office again.

"Harry? What is it?"

He pointed to Greg's bed, so she turned in Greg's direction. Greg had one hand secured to the rail on his bed, but the other had pulled his blanket up over his nose, so only his eyes and hair were visible.

He was staring at Harry with an extreme amount of hate. As they watched, Greg slowly pulled the blanket down to his chin, bared his teeth in a ferocious grimace, hissed at Harry, then quickly pulled the blanket back up to his eyes.

"That's fucking weird."

"Professor Snape thinks Voldemort's attached himself to Greg to survive."

"That would explain it."

"We're wasting time. Where else could Madam Pomfrey be?"

"Let's head for Dumbledore. Hopefully we'll find her on the way."

"Or should we head for Professor Snape? Dealing with the Malfoys? Maybe he'd be better. He also might know about the spell."

"Call Kingsley? Get ahead of it? Make sure Malfoy can't leave Azkaban?"

"He's not been convicted yet. I don't see how we can keep him from the ceremony. I think we just have to let him come and deal with him here."

"Then Snape it is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco was almost to the dungeons when he heard a whoop and turned just in time to catch an airborne Hermione. She _attacked_ his mouth. He laughed into her mouth as they kissed as though they hadn't seen each other for weeks.

She was clearly not in pain, which worried Draco a bit. Was she going to be off the pain potion in time to marry him?

Draco mentally shrugged off his apprehension and enjoyed kissing his girl.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled in irritation from behind. They both ignored him.

Hermione tore herself away from Draco's mouth and he watched in amusement as she stomped and swore.

"That was supposed to work!" she hissed in frustration.

"What was supposed to work?" he questioned.

"Kissing you!"

"It was supposed to _do_ something? I mean, other than the obvious," he said with a lascivious wink and a gesture at his trousers.

"I'm not me. I mean, I _am_ me, but I used my time turner to come back to now. You died and the ring keeps slipping down my finger. I thought kissing you would fix it."

"Maybe we should try again."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Tempting. Maybe I should have more _intention_. I'm going to marry you, Draco Malfoy!" Draco smiled as she kept shoving his ring back on her finger. "Damn! Fine. I'll figure it out later."

"Let's make out some more. That should help."

"We can't take any more time! You don't know it but we're saving your life! You were _dead_!"

Draco watched in shock as Hermione and Harry ran down the hall. He _died_? How? Why?

He found them at the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories banging on the door, being their loud, brutish Gryffindor selves.

Draco slipped past them and opened the door with a whispered password.

"Where is Professor Snape?" Harry asked the first person he saw. The young girl, probably a first year, just stared up at him in awe.

"Harry Potter?" Her vacant, shell-shocked gaze locked on his face. "Harry…Potter."

"Yeah. Do you know where Snape is?"

"Why would you think he was here?" Draco asked, dismissing the flummoxed girl.

"Doesn't he live here?"

"Well, he sleeps in his chambers around the corner, but this time of day? He's probably in his classroom. Seriously, if you were looking for McGonagall, would you look in Gryffindor tower?"

He watched Harry and Hermione look at each other and have an entire conversation in shrugs and head movements. He felt a pang of jealousy that the two had such a history, such a _bond_. He set that aside and ran after the two as they raced back toward the potions classroom.

"Professor?" Hermione called as she burst through the door. She whirled on Draco when she got no results. "Where next?"

"Library? Great Hall?"

"I know where he is!" Harry yelled suddenly. "The chaperone bonding ceremony! He was there…getting a chaperone!"

"Getting a chaperone?" Draco asked. "That would mean…"

"That he's engaged! It's wild, right? Now, let's focus. Where is the ceremony?" Hermione started walking toward the staircase before she got her answer.

"Dumbledore's office. Mrs. Malfoy kicked them out of the Great Hall to decorate for your wedding."

"She got away with that?"

"My mother is a force to be reckoned with."

"Did she dress you, too?" Harry asked with a goofy smile.

Draco looked back at him in confusion. "Of course not."

"Huh. Then you _chose_ that robe?"

"Of course. Why are you smiling?"

"You _chose_ gold robes?"

"Gold?"

"It's really lovely, Draco. It brings out the undertones in your skin."

Draco looked down in horror. He had been interrupted in his quest to change his robes. "Fuck off, Potter. It was a spell. It will wear off."

"Sure it is."

"I think it's sexy when men wear an unexpected color," Hermione interjected.

Draco smirked at Harry. "Do you now?"

"No. But I thought I'd try to save you some face. Now you've ruined it by acting smug."

Harry laughed, and Draco couldn't help but smile.

"Bitch," he called lightly.

Her answering giggle made him feel a little better, like they were becoming _friends_, not just people that were thrown together.

"So…how did I die?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione led the charge up to Dumbledore's office. Draco had not taken the news of his death very well. He kept asking questions Hermione didn't know how to answer.

Yes, it was his parents. No, she didn't know whether his mother had anything to do with it. Yes, Madam Pomfrey knows the incantation to end the spell. No, she hadn't gotten there in time.

She started ignoring the boys in favor of thinking through the next few steps.

She had been up to Professor Dumbledore's office so often lately she knew the password and barely slowed to let the statues guarding the staircase get out of the way.

She barged in only thinking of getting to Professor Snape or Professor Dumbledore in time to stop the coming tragedy.

"I knew it! I knew you were mine!"

Hermione found herself forcibly pulled into Ron's arms. He was kissing her again!

She struggled against his arms and he let her go abruptly.

"That's the last time you kiss my wife!" Draco moved so fast Hermione didn't even see the spell that made Ron stagger back and keel over.

"Not…yours…" Ron wheezed.

"Most _definitely_ mine." Hermione grabbed Draco as he tried to advance on Ron.

"Ron, you're engaged to Romilda Vane!" Hermione yelled, trying to break the tension between the two boys.

"He's…what?" Draco giggled. Seriously _giggled_. "Romilda Vane? How did _that_ happen? And how is it possible that he doesn't know it?"

"I'll tell you later. For now…Professor Snape?" Hermione turned to the Professor, who was trying to blend into the woodwork. "Lucius Malfoy is about to kill Draco. We need you to help stop him."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Miss Granger, if you…"

"He comes to the wedding, pretends to be resigned, then kills him with a spell from the walls of the room. Do you know what it is or how to undo it?"

"He…that's quite interesting. He killed _Draco_? Not _you_? How odd. _You're_ the one he wants dead!"

"Professor!"

"I apologize. Ahem," the professor looked back at the assembled group of engaged people, chaperones, and the Headmaster. "I'm afraid we have grave business and I'll have to postpone the bonding. Ever so sorry. Can't be helped."

Professor Snape left them all in the dust.

"Did you know he could run that fast?"

"No idea."

"We should catch up."

"We don't know where he went!"

"I'm right here!" Professor Snape called with irritation from the other side of the door. "You ruined my escape! Make haste! Or is Mr. Malfoy's life suddenly of no consequence?"

A/N:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


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